Reeling after two straight emphatic defeats against the Cavaliers and now without their best player for Games 3 and 4, the Celtics will have a long summer ahead of them to contemplate how they can maneuver ahead of LeBron James and company in the Eastern Conference.
Fortunately, the club is historically privileged to have the first overall pick in this summer’s stacked NBA Draft. No matter how hoops fans or league executives want to slice it, the Celtics are in an ideal situation, they can either hold onto the No. 1 pick and mold their already formidable roster around supposed future superstar Markelle Fultz or they can move the highly-sought-after draft pick in exchange for an established star.
Considering that the club is loaded with assets already, ranging from allegedly untouchable veteran center Al Horford to the 2016 third-overall pick Jaylen Brown, they’re not far removed from being the undisputed No. 2 team in their conference – the only question is how they’ll want to go about it.
Let’s take the grand creative leap and assume that the Celtics do meet their demise in this Conference Finals matchup, where do you think they should go from there? Does it make sense to flip the pick for a genuine, established star like Jimmy Butler or Paul George? Or is there little point in pushing to win now at the expense of setting themselves up long-term with Fultz?
LeBron James is 32 years old and likely has at least a handful of seasons left to rule the East, you tell us how the Celtics should look to approach their offseason given their multiple appealing possible options?
Use the picks this year and next. Size is coming from the two draft and Stash guys from last years draft. This team is looking great for the future!
If we get Fultz and then Michael Porter Jr that would be something
Keep stockpiling talent and then when the right time and player comes along make a move
Sign Paul Pierce and trade him to the Nets for a future 1st and the right to swap picks for 10 years.
Nah maybe the Hawks sign Billy King to be their GM then Boston traded him there!
Draft Fultz and sign a sniper who is not a streak shooter.
Thats just jj reddick and he apparently is up for 15 to 17 per season. No cheaper FA is avail that isnt a streaky shooter.
The Celtics aren’t going to “out-star” the Cavs or Warriors in the next few seasons so I think it’s best they keep playing to their strength which at the moment is youth, hunger and the fact that their young players will get better each year while the previously named teams get older and slower. They can sell off a few assets since they definitely do have more young talent than you can fit in one rotation but I wouldn’t sell the farm for a Paul George type. Man it’s almost as though their front office simultaneously has the easiest and most difficult job in basketball with some of these decisions they’ll have to make moving forward.
Thank goodness there hasn’t been any NY fans on here talking about how we should trade for Melo!
Trade for porzingis
Yes trade for the unicorn
Draft Fultz, then try to sign Gordon Hayward this summer. I’d also at least consider moving Isaiah Thomas in a deal for Jimmy Butler if they whiff on Hayward. Personally, I think that the Celtics aren’t going to want to max out IT next summer given their investment in Fultz and IT’s liabilities as a defender. The Cavs are likely to be better next season no matter what gets done this summer by the Celtics, so the Celtics need to wait and avoid going all in. If they whiff on Hayward and don’t trade Thomas for Butler perhaps they can sign PG13 next summer. Trading future picks for current stars is a bad idea for this team since they have such a strong long game which won’t be fully appreciated in the trade market.
Celtics need better rebounding, and better defense. Neither of those is Melo.
Unless we can do something crazy like sign CP3, I hope Celtics stick to toughening up their team. It wasn’t a lack of offensive talent that doomed them in the playoffs. Lots of sloppy play and non-defense.
Long time Celtics fan who doesn’t see this team winning a championship with Thomas at the point. Draft Fultz, sign Heyward, and package Thomas with all three 2nd rd picks to draft the best post rebounder, shot blocker in this year’s draft (Collins?).