We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com. Here are this week’s inquiries:
The upcoming offseason will be a summer of rumors and speculation in Boston. What do you guys feel they may do within the current confines of the rumor mill? Do they wait for Gordon Hayward to become a free agent and attempt a trade for Jimmy Butler (after the draft) or see how the offseason plays out and see how the land lies in Indiana and trade for Paul George? — Christopher Hawkins
The Celtics will be in a uniquely favorable position once the offseason arrives. They have a top draft pick, assets to trade for a star and about $30MM in cap room. They pursued Butler and George before the trade deadline and still have interest in both. Boston may try to play the Pacers and Bulls against each other to see who will make the best offer, and those offers could be significant if the Celtics wind up with the first or second pick in the May 16th lottery. If neither deal works out, they will draft Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball and make a serious run at Hayward. No matter what happens, Boston, which may be the East’s number one seed this year, should be much improved next season.
What free agents do you foresee actually being interested and fitting in the triangle offense Phil Jackson is shoving down the NYK roster? It seems like every player that has played for NYK since PJax had no affinity for the system. With no track record of it working in modern-day NBA, does this mean NYK will be terrible until we have a new president? — Anthony Williams
It’s hard to picture the triangle being a selling point for any current free agent. Jackson hasn’t coached in the NBA since 2010/11, and nearly everyone from that team is out of the league. If anything, the triangle and its negative reputation among today’s players will make free agents look elsewhere. If the Knicks hope to lure a quality free agent, they will have to use other bargaining chips, like the chance to play in New York, to be part of a young team with Kristaps Porzingis and this year’s pick or to play with Carmelo Anthony, if he’s still around.
With Becky Hammon getting an offer from University of Florida to coach their women, do you think that is the best offer she’ll ever get, or do you think someone will take a chance with her and give her a head coaching position in the NBA down the road, especially since she’s on the staff that half of the coaches originally were on? — Michael Thompson
The best way for an assistant to get an NBA coaching job is to remain in the NBA. The question for Hammon is whether she wants to stay with the pros and try to make history or jump at the chance to run her own team in college. With her background, she could be an excellent women’s coach at Florida, but that probably won’t get her any closer to being an NBA head coach. If Hammon stays put, she’s first in line to become the NBA’s first female head coach, but there’s no guarantee that will ever happen.
I desperately don’t want Gordon Hayward playing for Boston. I like him, but not for the max. They can’t pay him, Horford, and Isiah about $90 million. It’s not feasible. I’d like to see them grab Butler and get a second tier guy to take a pay cut for the remaining 12 million or so cap space left after Butler. Maybe Pau Gasol goes for some of the space, and they resign Amir and then match an offer on Olynyk and be done? Sign a couple guys for the minimum to fill out the rotation and replace needs resulting from the Butler deal, and work on locking one of the guards set for FA in 2018 up.
No thanks on Butler. He’s no improvement over Avery Bradley, who is the defensive guy that Brad Stevens wants. Imagine a backcourt of IT and Butler? That would drive Stevens crazy.
I’d like to see them do one of two things:
Trade IT and take Fultz or Ball and sign Hayward. In trading Thomas, get an established big man. Thomas has trouble in physical playoff basketball because of his height. He worries me in the long term for a guy who wants a max deal.
Keep IT and take Josh Jackson to play small forward. Two young bigs are coming from overseas next season which should help with rebounding, but Jackson would serve as a second scorer the Celtics badly need.
For me, I’d rather see them pass on both George and Butler. I’d prefer your first option.
But their first scorer is Thomas who you want them to trade. Also, Boston could easily run out a lineup of Thomas, Bradley, Butler/George, Crowder, and a center and do just fine. They run 3 of Thomas, Bradley, Smart, and Rozier quite often and do well with it, with Crowder at the 4. If they sign Blake Griffin and Pau Gasol, and trade out of the top 2 and draft Josh Jackson, Id be ecstatic. I agree Jackson is a good fit, but I like Thomas, and we need some established bigs.
I hear you, but I think that IT is going to be stopped in almost any 7 game series in the playoffs. He is at the top of his trade value and will command a max contract. Do you really want to pay that to a 5’8″ guy who is, let’s be honest, a defensive liability in almost every situation? I just think he brings back more right now than he offers in 2 or 3 years. I like your suggestion about Pau and Blake and a trade of the pick, too. To be honest, I would have made a big play for Andre Drummond at the deadline and gone from there.
Yeah I agree, with Drummond, but I guess if they found some way to add him in the offseason centering around Isiah to Detroit, and signed CP3, that’d be something else I’d go for.
Agree. He’s too small and gets beat up, hence why I’d trade him for a big and draft Fultz or Ball. They are a much better team in that scenario and they stay young. LeBron isn’t going to play forever, so the east is for the taking in the long term.
Doesn’t George or Butler cost Bradley?