Isiah Thomas is literally the worst defender in the NBA and is coming due for a contract extension. I can't imagine Danny Ainge being giddy by the prospect of paying him max or near max dollar, which makes me wonder if he'd try to pursue a player like CP3 this offseason and then offload Isiah Thomas and Jae Crowder in the process (possibly to LAC). With the Clippers winding down yet another disappointing offseason, I could see CP3 looking for a change and coming East to play slighter competition.
If so, I think BOS becomes a legitimate suitor for Melo, which would easily make them legitimate contenders. Do you think they'd be willing to do a Melo for Jaylen Brown swap if everything breaks right? If all this happens, I could easily see them taking Josh Jackson in the draft to play behind Melo, which would make Brown expendable anyway.
CP3, Bradley, Horford, Melo, Crowder. Brooklyn's pick, bench.
Interesting
martin wrote:CP3, Bradley, Horford, Melo, Crowder. Brooklyn's pick, bench.Interesting
....and they'd be able to continue to build their bench with the players picked with the Nets' pick to inevitably take the reigns once their starters begin to breakdown. In the interim though, they'd easily be the 2nd best team and could even beat CLE under the right circumstances with their added length and talent on both ends.
martin wrote:CP3, Bradley, Horford, Melo, Crowder. Brooklyn's pick, bench.Interesting
No team losing CP3 is for the better for doing so but I think LAC would be interesting in their own right. Isiah Thomas' focus on being a scorer gives Blake Griffin the playmaking opportunities he could always make that were encumbered whenever CP3 is on the floor. And adding Jae Crowder allows them the opportunity to have the two-way 3 they've always wanted as well as some depth.
NardDogNation wrote:martin wrote:CP3, Bradley, Horford, Melo, Crowder. Brooklyn's pick, bench.Interesting
No team losing CP3 is for the better for doing so but I think LAC would be interesting in their own right. Isiah Thomas' focus on being a scorer gives Blake Griffin the playmaking opportunities he could always make that were encumbered whenever CP3 is on the floor. And adding Jae Crowder allows them the opportunity to have the two-way 3 they've always wanted as well as some depth.
I think Boston would be able to sign CP3 straight up with a few tweaks and trade for Melo.
Why would they sign an expensive, aging Cp3 when they can just draft fultz or Ball?
NardDogNation wrote:If so, I think BOS becomes a legitimate suitor for Melo, which would easily make them legitimate contenders. Do you think they'd be willing to do a Melo for Jaylen Brown swap if everything breaks right?
Flip the shoe on the other foot. If the Knicks has Boston's roster and the Celtics had Melo with his NTC and his trade kicker, would you give up anything other than a lowball offer to a team that has ZERO trade leverage. I mean absolutely ZERO.
Boston will give the LEAST it has to give to make a Melo trade work, assuming Melo would even waive his NTC.
And there is the issue that any kind of salary match would make taking in a bad contract as more likely to happen.
Melo is an aging no defense coach killing shot jacker who has really horrible shot selection, doesn't play team basketball and absorbs a massive cap hit. He has a super limited trade market in place.
The best I think the Knicks can do is create a 'wash' situation. I.E. whatever asset they do get a Melo deal would be used to jettison the bad contract they have to take in to another team. If the Knicks get ZERO in asset return for Melo from a net perspective, I still say make the deal. It's addition by subtraction.
smackeddog wrote:Why would they sign an expensive, aging Cp3 when they can just draft fultz or Ball?
Boston wants to win? Ball and Kelle are fantastic prospects no doubt but I don't think they would get Boston a ring in the short term. CP3 is still a top 3 pg
Boston is not doing that.
They're drafting Ball or Fultz and then focusing on Gordan Hayward or trading for Butler/George.
If all that fails, then Melo may be an option for them.
So they'd have to lose out on Hayward, Butler and George.
Boston can't get to far away from what they are doing well.... Paul George and or Hayward is the right move for then. Ther should give Lauri Markkanen a long look too.... they are over crowded at guard and fwd as is.
