# Boston trade watch 2014



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

With Houston determined to trade Asik within the next 36 hours or so, and Boston being one of the main teams connected to the deal, it seems like a good time to start this up. Post all rumors/thoughts/fake trades here in the leadup to the February 2014 deadline. 

As far as Asik to Boston goes, I love the idea of having a full-sized center to protect the rim and hit the glass. The guy that gets brought up the most, and makes the most sense, to head out is Jeff Green, however, and I just don't see how Boston makes up for his absence. I suppose Gerald Wallace becomes the starter by default, but that takes a good deal of scoring punch out of a lineup that has difficulty on offense as it is, and also adds a body to an already-crowded frontcourt. I'd like the deal much, much more if Houston (or a third team in the deal) could be persuaded to take Brandon Bass and another asset instead. 

That being said, I'd love for Jeff Green to wind up on the Rockets, as I've said multiple times in the last couple months. I just love the potential rivalry between Houston and OKC. The two "core" guys the Thunder traded teaming up to take down their old team, the Oklahoma-Texas regional rivalry, Kendrick Perkins once again openly trying to injure Dwight Howard during a playoff game......it's all too good.


----------



## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

Jeff Green on the Rockets would be fun, but I don't really see Asik as a foundational piece. He doesn't play offense and he only has one year left on his contract.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

RollWithEm said:


> Jeff Green on the Rockets would be fun, but I don't really see Asik as a foundational piece. He doesn't play offense and he only has one year left on his contract.


I don't see Brandon Bass, or for that matter Jeff Green, as a foundational piece either. Like I said, I don't love the idea of moving Green (whether he goes to Houston or a third team) and bringing back Asik because it creates lineup problems on the wing and a logjam underneath. Asik's defensive impact gets underrated though, especially on a team that's been playing 6'8 centers far more than you'd like. As I said, sending out Brandon Bass and someone else would be much better than losing Green.


----------



## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

It's not who Boston would be losing that's the problem in my mind... it's the target. I don't think Asik is a fit regardless of who they are giving up. The franchise is not in a position to win now, and they don't need to be tied down to his poison pill year.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

RollWithEm said:


> It's not who Boston would be losing that's the problem in my mind... it's the target. I don't think Asik is a fit regardless of who they are giving up. The franchise is not in a position to win now, and they don't need to be tied down to his poison pill year.


The balloon payment next year is overblown, at least for teams with money to spend. Boston's more concerned about staying under the luxury tax line than they are with actually keeping payroll down - one of the news outlets today reported that the reason Philly and Boston are being mentioned so much is because neither team is scared of that payment. Stylistically, he isn't awful because Boston currently has something like 4 jump-shooting power forwards, a center who likes to take 3s, and Kris Humphries.


----------



## tylerwinch831 (Dec 18, 2013)

*Rondo to Sacramento?*

Will Rondo be traded to? What does everything? Details to trade here:

http://theleaguenews.us/kings-preparing-offer-celtics-deal-rondo/


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

*Re: Rondo to Sacramento?*

I doubt that the package being reported is actually on the table. Thomas, McLemore, two rotation guys, and two first round picks is a massive package for a borderline all-star who's still out from a blown-out knee.


----------



## LeGoat06 (Jun 24, 2013)

*Re: Rondo to Sacramento?*

nvm


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

*Re: Rondo to Sacramento?*

There are two threads. This is the Celtics board, your comments were on the NBA general thread.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

In fact, to avoid any further confusion.......


merged


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hawks--celtics--cavaliers--76ers-lead-pack-to-acquire-rockets-center-omer-asik-053218781.html




> The Boston Celtics have gained traction in trade talks to acquire Houston Rockets center Omer Asik, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
> 
> The talks have centered on a package including forward Brandon Bass, guard Courtney Lee and a first-round pick, sources said. It's unclear if Lee will go to the Rockets or be routed to a third team.


It's looking like Ainge is closing in on a deal with Houston, the latest reports are that the only thing keeping the deal from being completed are the terms of the first round pick. I like the move, Asik provides something the C's don't have (top-notch interior defense), and you can replicate most of what Bass gives you with Sullinger and Olynyk. Losing the last year of Lee's contract is also a plus, I just hope the first-round pick terms wind up favorable to Boston.


----------



## Floods (Oct 25, 2005)

Best draft class in a decade and we've decided that the right to be annihilated by Miami/Indiana is more important.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Floods said:


> Best draft class in a decade and we've decided that the right to be annihilated by Miami/Indiana is more important.


You'd have Ainge ship out anyone older than 25 for expirings?

EDIT: The Boston Globe is reporting conflicting accounts on the Boston-Houston trade talks. They have sources saying that the talks weren't actually that serious, but was Morey trying to scare other teams into action, while other people are saying they were very close to an actual deal.


----------



## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

That Rondo to Sacramento trade would be absolutely amazing for Boston. Wow.


----------



## letsgoceltics (Aug 19, 2012)

I never understood the fascination about Asik. Ainge is better than this. Houston isn't even playing him, why do you have to give you a 1st rounder for a guy who isn't even that young?


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

RollWithEm said:


> That Rondo to Sacramento trade would be absolutely amazing for Boston. Wow.


I can't imagine that's on the table. I assume someone in one of the organizations listed off all those names to the initial "source" semi-sarcastically when they asked how Sacramento would get Rondo, and that person turned around and reported it as serious talks. 



letsgoceltics said:


> I never understood the fascination about Asik. Ainge is better than this. Houston isn't even playing him, why do you have to give you a 1st rounder for a guy who isn't even that young?


If we assume that the deal in question is indeed Lee, Bass, and a first for Asik, I imagine the logic goes something like this:

The team is better than they were expected to be, and Stevens has been a much better coach much earlier than anyone thought - with Rondo's impending return they're probably a playoff squad as-is. Bass, Olynyk, Sullinger, and Faverani are all at least partially redundant and the backcourt is going to be a bit crowded when Rondo returns anyway, so losing Lee and the last year of his contract (when Boston's set to have a ton of cap space) is somewhere between bearable and desirable. Asik, however, provides rebounding and rim protection at a borderline elite level, which nobody else on the roster can do.

A fire sale on the team's veterans, in an attempt to sabotage the current season, is going to bring back a bunch of lowball offers that don't get Boston fair value, which Ainge isn't interested in. A complete tear-down of the roster isn't guaranteed to produce any star talent, and could set the franchise back a half-decade from competing again. Balancing the roster by moving one of the team's five power forwards for a second center gives Ainge more flexibility in terms of team-building, and has the added bonus of making the roster more marketable to any disgruntled star players that become available. The 2015 pick isn't vital because A) It's likely to be in the mid-to-late-twenties and B) the team already has a glut of youth as it is. Creating a situation where the team is only one star player away from being nationally relevant once again is more likely to result in a shorter rebuild than blowing the whole thing up and starting from scratch.


EDIT: It's now looking like Morey's calling the whole thing off and keeping Asik for the foreseeable future. Houston's really not handling this well.


----------



## UNHFan (May 14, 2005)

I've read that talk with Houston has continued but now the price might be Green and Kelly O plus a first round pick. Would you do that?


----------



## Porn Player (Apr 24, 2003)

^ As an outsider, that's a whole lot to give up for somebody that isn't nearly the difference maker people are suggesting. 

I don't even know if I would do Green for Asik straight up.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

UNHFan said:


> I've read that talk with Houston has continued but now the price might be Green and Kelly O plus a first round pick. Would you do that?


No, definitely not. That's too much to give up for a guy that, by most accounts, isn't generating a ton of interest from other clubs around the league. Asik would definitely be nice to have, but you have to get him at the right price. Losing Green in _any_ Asik trade makes me a little uneasy, because if you're going after Asik then the idea is going to be to chase an all-star-level forward or guard (think Carmelo, Kevin Love, etc) in the next two seasons using Jeff Green and some mixture of picks and the young guys.


----------



## UNHFan (May 14, 2005)

Talk now of a three way deal with Houston, Cleveland and us. We get asik, Cleveland gets Green, and Houston gets bass and a draft pick.


----------



## E.H. Munro (Jun 22, 2004)

That's not really floating my boat either. Having a core of Rondo/Sullinger/Asik means a 3-4 window where you're capped out between Rondo's supermax deal and Asik's 80% max one.


----------



## UNHFan (May 14, 2005)

What can we get for Kris Humphries?


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

UNHFan said:


> Talk now of a three way deal with Houston, Cleveland and us. We get asik, Cleveland gets Green, and Houston gets bass and a draft pick.


That doesn't really work with the cap rules, and I'm not in love with sending out Green plus Bass and only getting back Asik. Like I said, the whole idea is to hold on to Green to use in a trade package for an all-star.



UNHFan said:


> What can we get for Kris Humphries?


_Just_ Kris? Not much, unless it also involves taking on an unsavory contract. He's (more specifically, his contract) very useful in building bigger deals, though, and he's actually contributing a bit on the court.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Multiple sources on Twitter are reporting that Boston is close to finalizing a deal sending Courtney Lee to Memphis for Jerryd Bayless. At least one other player would have to be involved, but I like the move. Lee's playing well, but getting rid of the last year of his contract would be huge. A big part of Boston's rebuilding plan is 2015 cap space, and this opens up another $5.6 million that summer. Getting another serviceable point guard back also makes it easier to move either Rondo or Crawford in a trade, so that's a bonus.

EDIT: ESPN reports an agreement has been finalized:

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10247719/boston-celtics-looking-trade-courtney-lee-memphis-grizzlies-jerryd-bayless



> The Boston Celtics have reached an agreement with the Memphis Grizzlies to trade for veteran guard Jerryd Bayless, according to sources close to the process.
> 
> Sources told ESPN.com that the Celtics, after pursuing him in previous seasons as well, are on the verge of acquiring Bayless for shooting guard Courtney Lee. A trade call with the league office, sources said, has been scheduled for Monday.


The article goes on to state that the teams may be using trade exceptions to keep the trade to just Lee and Bayless.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Reports last night were that Ryan Gomes will now be included in the Lee-Bayless swap, with Gomes likely to be waived, and Boston compensated a second-round pick or two for their trouble. For what it's worth, I liked Gomes his first time around in Boston. It would have been a little neat to see him in green again, even if he was just hanging out on the bench.


----------



## Floods (Oct 25, 2005)

Gomes! I miss that S.O.B.

EDIT: if he's being waived... nevermind!


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Floods said:


> Gomes! I miss that S.O.B.
> 
> EDIT: if he's being waived... nevermind!


Right? So the deal was finalized yesterday with Lee going to Memphis; a Celtics 2016 second-rounder (I believe) to OKC; and Gomes, Bayless, and a conditional 2017 second-rounder coming in to Boston. Gomes was then waived.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Peter Vecsey is reporting that Boston's getting close to trading Jordan Crawford now that Rondo's going to be back in the lineup. He lists Brooklen, Phoenix, Houston, Golden State, and the Clippers as teams that have expressed interest. If Ainge can get back any first-rounder or a decent prospect or two, I'd be very happy with the deal.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Woj is reporting that Ainge has agreed to send Crawford and Brooks to Golden State. Not clear yet if any other teams are involved or who/what Boston is getting back, but I've heard Toney Douglas' name involved. Details to follow.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

So, it looks like it was Crawford and Brooks to GS, Toney Douglas to Miami, and Joel Anthony, a heavily protected Philly 1st that's likely to wind up two 2nds, and a Miami 2nd to Boston. Not a bad return on two guys who weren't coming back.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Chris Johnson of the RGV Vipers was flown into Boston to participate in the team's workout, supposedly. Seems likely he'll get a 10-day if they've gone to all that trouble.


----------



## Floods (Oct 25, 2005)

I guess I have a reason to root for the Sixers for the first time since 2001.


----------



## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

Floods said:


> I guess I have a reason to root for the Sixers for the first time since 2001.


You can root for them next year. This season doesn't look too promising.


----------



## Floods (Oct 25, 2005)

They're two and a half out of a playoff spot. You can do it boys!


----------

