Which direction do you want the team to go the rest of the season?

[Handlogten's Heros]

There's real downside to trading protected picks too, though. It means you quite often will be very limited in picks you can trade away. Since we have a bunch of other picks now, we should be good, but without those, we couldn't trade a pick until '28 IIRC.

I don't see that as downside though... if you went to the holder of that pick and was like "lets unprotect that ****" they'd likely be like "cool...done.". It almost protects you from doing the stupid **** you should not do.

I get what you are saying and it might be why I'd try and get more value by just trading an unprotected pick rather than losing value in the trade while haggling on protections.

 

[Elizah Huge]

Trade JC for sure while he's hot. He has value and doesn't fit our timeline.

He’s in the range where he’s still young enough to be a key part of the team for another 3-4 years.

 

[Elizah Huge]

I also think we learned a controlled rebuild can be the best patient path. Don't do what Minny did... put a bunch of cakes in the oven and bake (sorry).

Minnesota went all-in too early and on the wrong piece. This isn’t revisionist either I said the same thing at the time.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Trade JC for sure while he's hot. He has value and doesn't fit our timeline.

I would move him in the right deal, but he likely plays about as good as he has this year for the next few years... so he fits the medium term. It has to be a really good offer... like if LA comes with the picks they can move then I will be fine moving on. If it is just like a protected suns pick.... pass.

His production to contract value is likely to remain high/solid.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Minnesota went all-in too early and on the wrong piece. This isn’t revisionist either I said the same thing at the time.

There is a thin line between making bold moves and making dumb AF moves... they crossed the line with violent disregard.

 

[fishonjazz]

He’s in the range where he’s still young enough to be a key part of the team for another 3-4 years.

Ya he is tough one. Would depend on what we were getting back. Need to be a good offer.
Also I really hope the front office has a good idea of whether he is gonna re-sign or not and for how much.

 

[Elizah Huge]

Ya he is tough one. Would depend on what we were getting back. Need to be a good offer.
Also I really hope the front office has a good idea of whether he is gonna re-sign or not and for how much.

I would understand if we re-signed him or traded him. I can see the logic in both.

 

[sip]

I don't see that as downside though... if you went to the holder of that pick and was like "lets unprotect that ****" they'd likely be like "cool...done.". It almost protects you from doing the stupid **** you should not do.

I get what you are saying and it might be why I'd try and get more value by just trading an unprotected pick rather than losing value in the trade while haggling on protections.

I think a lot of the time a team getting the pick wouldn't want to have the pick changed to unprotected because it then gives the team more pathways to get better which in turn could hurt that pick.

 

[sip]

I would move him in the right deal, but he likely plays about as good as he has this year for the next few years... so he fits the medium term. It has to be a really good offer... like if LA comes with the picks they can move then I will be fine moving on. If it is just like a protected suns pick.... pass.

His production to contract value is likely to remain high/solid.

Odds are going forward he takes on a smaller role but at probably a much larger salary. All of a sudden if he is getting paid 20-25mil a year but is averaging closer to 17pts, 3rbs, 3asts then does he become a bad contract? Particularly since he is on the wrong side of 30.

 

[LogGrad98]

You are putting way too much trust in Ainge. I like the guy but he has never found a star player outside of a top 10 pick. He is great at acquiring draft assets but he isn't anything special at actually putting them to work outside of the top 5. You can also make a strong case that Presti is every bit the wizard that Ainge is when it comes to acquiring draft assets while the griz and pelicans gm's have been insane at identifying draft talent over these last few years.

Except Ainge has a championship through trade under his belt, so there is that.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Odds are going forward he takes on a smaller role but at probably a much larger salary. All of a sudden if he is getting paid 20-25mil a year but is averaging closer to 17pts, 3rbs, 3asts then does he become a bad contract? Particularly since he is on the wrong side of 30.

The cap goes up 50% over that time and it'd be fine. I'd probably front load the deal a bit to protect it if I could. I don't see his role shrinking... I doubt he drops off a cliff production wise. This is the best he's ever played and he has become a better playmaker.... we know he can always go back to being a bench gunner too.

 

[sip]

Except Ainge has a championship through trade under his belt, so there is that.

That was 16yrs ago. Just because he did that once doesn't mean he can do it again. He tried it with Kyrie and Hayward and it didn't work out and then he brought in Kemba who turned into the worst contract in the nba. No one is saying Ainge hit on things but we also can't just completely ignore the misses as well.