Tag Archives: Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum vs LeBron James By the Numbers

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I know how crazy this will sound. Who in their right mind would even consider comparing an unproven 20-year-old to arguably the greatest basketball player to ever live? Before you all get out the torches and sharpen your pitchforks let me explain.

This piece focuses on how much potential Jayson Tatum has. With some recent articles floating around social media making the case that Taco Jay is ‘overhyped’ I felt the need to come to his defense. There is no defense stronger than proving to the world that the 20-year-old talent put up comparative advanced metrics to the King in their respective rookie seasons. Let’s dive into the numbers.

Jayson Tatum Advanced Metrics for 2017-18 Season

LeBron James Advanced Metrics for 2003-04 Season

Player Efficiency Rating and Usage Percentage

The first metric that strikes my eye is each player’s PER (Player Efficiency Rating) vs their USG% (Usage Percent).

To clarify- the PER sums up all of a player’s positive accomplishments, subtracts the negative accomplishments, and returns the per-minute rating of a player’s performance. The USG% figure refers to the percentage of team plays used by a player while on the court.

Jayson Tatum finished his rookie campaign with a respectable 15.3 PER against a modest 19.5 USG% in 2438 minutes played.

LeBron James finished his rookie campaign with a slightly higher 18.3 PER against a MUCH higher 28.2 USG% in 3122 minutes played.

Simply put, Jayson Tatum was only slightly less efficient than James while receiving significantly fewer touches and play calls. This comes as a testament to the abnormally high efficiency Tatum exhibited throughout his first season in the league.

Entering as a ball stopping ISO heavy talent, Tatum’s biggest question marks were his outside shooting and efficiency in an NBA offense predicated around ball movement. Tatum responded by shooting 43.3% from 3 (good for 8th in the league) and quickly proved he can do what is needed for the betterment of the team. His modest 19.5 USG% reveals that he was not the ‘ball stopper’ that he was predicted to be. In fact, it is Tatum’s malleability and selflessness that has quickly become his biggest strength heading into his 2nd season. His ability to get off whatever shot he desires at will coupled with the basketball IQ to know when to give up the rock bodes well for his future outlook.

True Shooting Percentage, Total Rebound Percentage and Win Shares

(Boston MA, 05/03/18) Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum celebrates after dunking during the second half of Game 2 of the Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers at the TD Garden on Thursday, May 03, 2018. Staff photo by Matt Stone

Jayson Tatum actually tops LeBron James in multiple advanced metrics in their respective rookie seasons. First, let me clarify what each of these statistics means.

True Shooting Percentage (TS%) measures a player’s efficiency at shooting the ball. It considers total points scored over all field goals made including free throws, 2-point field goals and 3 pointers plus free throws attempted. It is the most accurate measurement of a player’s overall shooting efficiency.

Total Rebound Percentage (TR%) is a statistic used to gauge how effective a player is at gaining possession of the ball after a missed field goal or free throw. Essentially the stat measures the percentage of missed shots the individual rebounds while on the court.

Win Shares (WS) is a bit of a complex metric but in a nutshell it estimates the number of wins a player produces for his team. It is essentially a measurement of how important the player is to his team’s success.

How Does Tatum Compare?

Now onto the fun stuff. Jayson Tatum’s impressive rookie PER shines through when looking at his TS%, which sits at 58.6%. Comparatively, LeBron finished his rookie campaign with a 48.8% TS%, nearly 10% lower than that of Tatum’s. This is directly correlated to Tatum’s shot taking decisions. He very rarely takes tough shots and doesn’t force anything. With everything he does he always appears to be comfortable and confident, as shown by his 49% shooting from 2 and 43% from 3 for the season.

Jayson Tatum finished his rookie campaign averaging 5 rebounds per contest. He accomplished a 9% TR%, 1.4% higher than James’. LeBron has gone on to average an impressive 7.4 rebounds per game for his career. Taking Tatum’s rookie season under consideration, there is no reason the 6’8” forward can’t accomplish the same if not better than the King in this department.

The final measurement that caught my eye in this comparison was Win Shares plus Win Shares per 48 minutes. LeBron James played 684 minutes more than Jayson Tatum in his rookie season. Yet it was Tatum who held a higher WS metric. Essentially, Jayson Tatum individually produced 2 more wins for the Celtics than LeBron for the Cavs in significantly less playing time. Taking it a step further, if that measurement is rounded out to 48 minutes (the length of a full game) Tatum still outshines James with .139 WS to .078, respectively. What does this mean? According to this metric one can make a legitimate argument that Jayson Tatum was more important to the Celtics his rookie year than LeBron James was to the Cavaliers.

Is Jayson Tatum ‘Overhyped’?

Jayson Tatum finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year race and landed on the NBA All Rookie 1st Team. He was thrusted into the spotlight a mere 5 minutes into his first NBA game against (ironically) LeBron James. He averaged 13.9 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest as a 19-year-old. The team needed him to step up in the playoffs due to devastating injuries to valuable teammates. He responded by leading the entire roster in scoring through 19 playoff games. His 18.5 points per game scoring average got him within 1 point of tying basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points scored by a rookie in the playoffs in NBA history.

Some believe that Tatum will end up being the best rookie to come out of his draft class. Doubters will shake their heads and say the guy has already peaked. That he won’t get much better than he is now.

What do I believe?

I believe that the sky is the limit for Jayson Tatum. He has every tool in his arsenal necessary to become one of the NBA’s elite. I would say he is arguably the most gifted talent that the Boston Celtics have drafted since Larry Bird (sorry Paul). The situation could not be more perfect for Tatum. The system around him will provide every opportunity to maximize his talents and realize his full potential. Now, he’s just got to go out and prove to the world that he can do it.

 

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 62 Days

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Welcome back to the Celtics season tipoff countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (August 14th). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (62 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

Gordon Hayward sent Celtics fans into a frenzy with a video posted by his trainer on Monday. The clip shows Hayward throwing down a dunk over his training partner in the gym. Hayward continues to show big improvements in his rehab. Fans can’t wait for his return to the court in October. Here’s the tweet from trainer Jason Smeathers:

On This Date

August 14, 2011: Celtics legend Satch Sanders is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Sanders was drafted by the franchise in 1960 with the eighth overall pick. He played 13 seasons in the NBA, all with Boston. Sanders helped the team win eight championships in his time there, being a lockdown defensive presence. He then went on to take a role within the NBA offices.

Stats (2017-18)

  • Kyrie Irving’s season Box Plus-Minus was 6.2. This is a stat determining how many points per 100 possessions a player contributed over a league average player.
  • Daniel Theis’s True Shooting Percentage was 62%. This is a determination of shooting efficiency based on twos, threes, and free throws.

Fun Facts

TERRY ROZIER

  • The 1962 Celtics wrapped up their fifth NBA championship. The team went 60-20 and defeated the Lakers in the NBA Finals in seven games. The team was coached by Red Auerbach and was led by Bill Russell and Bob Cousy.
  • Terry Rozier is listed at a height of 6 feet 2 inches.
  • No Celtic has ever worn the number 62.

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to check back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

 

WATCH: Gordon Hayward Dunks for First Time Since Injury

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Boston Celtics star Gordon Hayward is starting to look like himself again and just in time with training camp right around the corner.

Hayward Dunking Again

In a workout video posted by NBA Trainer Jason Smeathers Hayward drives hard to the hoop and flushes down a two-handed jam.

The dunk appears to be his first since suffering a broken fibula on opening night of the 2017 season. This is great news for Celtics fans as Hayward will play a key role in Boston’s championship level aspirations this season. The 28-year-old forward averaged 21.9 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the 2016 campaign with the Utah Jazz. The Boston faithful has yet to see what the 8-year veteran can do in Celtic green.

Moving Around Well, Should be Back by Training Camp

The major concern in the immediate aftermath following Hayward’s injury was whether or not he would ever be as explosive as he was pre-injury. A big part of what makes him so effective is his athleticism and ability to cut efficiently. He relies on his slashing ability to maneuver around his defender and get to his spot consistently. With an ankle injury as severe as the one Hayward suffered there is no guarantee that the ankle would heal sufficiently enough to supply an adequate amount of support to generate an explosive response.

Seeing Hayward move around so well is a great sign that his ankle is healing well and that he should have a great chance to be just as effective as he was pre-injury. Having a talent such as Hayward gives Boston a great shot at reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. The team fell one win shy of making it to the title round last season despite injuries to both Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving.

The excitement surrounding this year’s Celtics team is on par with that of the 2008 crew. Expectations are always tough to live up to, but with Hayward coming back at full strength the odds are certainly in their favor.

Tatum

Stephen Jackson Makes BOLD Jayson Tatum Statement

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News flash everyone! Jayson Tatum is a pretty good basketball player. The former Duke forward hit the court running his Rookie season after being selected 3rd overall by the Celtics. As the ‘gin’ to Jaylen Brown’s ‘juice,’ “Taco Jay” made it very clear to the world that he has a place in the league.

Thrusted into the Spotlight

Coming into the season, Tatum was expected to undergo a similar growth process as Jaylen Brown just a year earlier. Perhaps the 19-year-old would snag 20 minutes per game off of the bench. Maybe he would be talented enough to start, but would still play second fiddle to more established veterans on the roster. By no means was he expected to handle a ‘go to guy’ role. Thankfully for the Celtics, Tatum hit the gym and used his program discount to improve his jumping ability.

After five minutes into his NBA debut, that would all change. Once Hayward went down, Tatum immediately became the guy looked at to fill his shoes. Talk about pressure! How’d he respond? He hit the King with a 14-point, 10 rebound game in his NBA debut and never looked back. He put up 13.9 points and 5 rebounds per game while shooting an absurd 43.3% from deep over the course of the season.

If that wasn’t enough, he elevated his game to a whole new level during Boston’s long playoff run. In 19 playoff appearances, Tatum averaged a team leading 18.5 points per game while taking over the role as the primary closer. The 20-year-old became the second highest scoring rookie in NBA playoff history, falling a single point shy of tying legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Lofty Expectations

Tatum was selected to the NBA’s All-Rookie 1st team while finishing third in the Rookie of the Year race. The expectations for the budding young star have only burgeoned since then. Some believe that he could be the best player on the Celtics’ already-loaded roster in just a few years’ time. Others see Tatum as a superstar-level talent that could take over the league sooner rather than later.

One of those people happens to be NBA Analyst and former player Stephen Jackson.

Jackson joined Fox Sports “Undisputed” to talk about Boston’s projected win total (currently sitting at 57.5). He mentioned Tatum as a key player for the team moving forward and made quite the statement about his potential.

Check out what he had to say:

“I think Tatum will be a top 10 player this year.”

Can Jayson Tatum Become an ‘Elite’ Talent?

Jayson Tatum may have finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting, but there is no denying his potential as the best player to come out of last year’s draft. His ability to score at will from all three levels and knack of taking over in the clutch are reminiscent of a young Kobe Bryant. He is quick enough to attack off the dribble, crafty enough to get a shot up over taller defenders, and smooth enough to knock down pull-ups from any spot on the court. Possessed with a high basketball IQ and a coachable personality, Tatum has every tool necessary to become one of the NBA’s elite players.

At this point, it’s only a matter of time before this expectation comes to fruition. According to Stephen Jackson, that time may be coming a whole lot sooner than anybody expects.

Kyrie Irving- Greatest Ball Handler of All-Time

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For those of you that may not know- the NBA season is 10 weeks away. Free Agency has died down and basketball fans are left without much to get excited about. That being said- this week happens to be ‘NBA Handles Week’. There isn’t many things more exciting than watching the NBA’s best break some ankles on the court.

Kyrie Irving is a Wizard with the Ball

To celebrate why not talk about Kyrie Irving and his otherworldly handles?

In my opinion Kyrie Irving is the greatest ball handler in the history of the league. There’s a reason why they call him “The Unguardable Guard”. Armed with a crossover that leaves defenders reeling, a nasty hesitation, and the leagues scariest spin move Irving is as unstoppable as it gets. Once he makes his move its game over for his defender.

Sure there are others with formidable handles. Steph Curry, James Harden, and Chris Paul come to mind when debating great handles. But when the discussion about the greatest comes up Kyrie Irving’s name seems to pop up the most. 

But don’t just take my word for it!

“Hands down, Kyrie has the best ball-handling skills that we have in our league,” Atlanta Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap said. “The way he reads defenses, the way he reads your feet, it’s unbelievable … His biggest asset is his creativity. He is one of the most creative point guards we have.”

“Kyrie has the best handle of all time,” said Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon. “Very creative and uses different motions, as well.”

Limitless Creativity Leads to Innovative Moves

Kyrie is always trying something new with the ball. Whether it’s a step back three or a hesitation crossover into a floater in the lane he is always looking to set up his shot with a crafty move. He speaks often about keeping his defender on their toes and being as unpredictable as possible.

“There is creativity that goes into it, meaning to change on the fly with multiple combinations, multiple moves, being able to turn my practice into my work and really just have some fun out there,” Irving said. “Being able to keep your defender in an unpredictable state is always a fun thing because you can dribble, shoot, pass … You’re able to not only make plays for yourself, but for everyone on the court.”

High Praise from Another Legendary Dribbler

Stephen Curry, who is arguably Irving’s stiffest competition for such an honor, has spoken highly of Kyrie’s handles. Curry recently included Irving’s name in his Mount Rushmore of ball handlers. Steph also had this to say about Irving in a recent interview:

“He is able to use both hands and he’s shifty and crafty,” Curry said. “He changes speeds to keep people off-balance. Perhaps the best way to put it into words, he has an uncanny kind of ability to go one way, stop on a dime, right to left, left to right, whichever, and still be on balance and get by you. It’s unpredictable. You just don’t know which way he is going.”

Speaking of Curry, check out this sweet move Irving put on the 2X MVP last season:

It doesn’t get much better than that!

On that note I shall leave you with a final clip that compiles a few of the Unguardable Guard’s highlight moves from the 2018 season. Feel free to sit back and enjoy ball handling at it’s best.

https://twitter.com/redapples/status/944218647375081472?s=20

Bird

What To Do With Jabari Bird As He Continues To Impress (@jaxbrown725)

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It was in April when I tweeted about some kid from the The University of California who came off the bench for the Celtics with a firey style of play. The game was vs the Chicago Bulls and I instantly became a fan of Jabari Bird. If you check out the highlights, you’ll see a quick flashy guard who finishes well at the hoop. He can throw it down and if left open enough, knock down the J. But why is nobody talking about this dude?

Photo credit: usatoday.com

 Well, 8.8 MPG to go along with 3 PPG isn’t going to get you on SportsCenter. However, he did shoot 57% on all attempts, so there’s that right? Admittedly, he didn’t play much in the 2017-2018 campaign to get a great look, but if you’ve been following the Summer League, I wouldn’t sleep on Jaylen Browns old college teammate. Here’s why.

Jabari Bird History Lesson

At 6’6” and 190 lbs, Bird was a 4-star ESPN recruit from the class of 2013. Not only did he lead his high school team to an overall 100-8 record, Jabari was also named to the McDonald’s High School All-American game and was scouted as the No. 20 overall recruit in his class. He didn’t perform great in the game, but did show flashes of his hops and energy. Bird appeared to have stepped it up a bit and improved his game in his four years of college.

From 2013 to 2017, Jabari Bird was ballin’ out from the get-go. Having played with Jaylen Brown, he took a backseat to scoring, but soon afterwards took off. His ball handling and floor control was clearly what needed the most attention, but he could score. Just check out these numbers from Birds time in college:

Photo credit: californiagoldenblogs.com

Freshman: 2013-2014

11 – 10+ point games/ 2 – 20+ point games

Sophomore: 2014-2015

11 – 10+ point games/ 1 – 20+ point game

Junior: 2015-2016

21 – 10+ point games/ 4 – 20+ point games

Senior: 2016-2017

20 – 10+ point games/ 8 – 20+ point games 

Ending with 1,227 career points and finishing fifth all-time in Cal’s history in 3PM (187), Bird led the team in scoring in his final year with the Bears. Unfortunately, his team didn’t make the NCAA tournament in his last year, so the focus switched to trying to get on an NBA squad with a summer full of workouts and pre-draft screenings. Scouting report reading being athletic and having a decent shot, shot section and ball handling were hit points for some teams. Come draft night at pick 56, Danny Ainge made the call to select another Bird to wear Boston threads.

Maine Lobstah to a Bahston Celtic 

With being drafted, Jabari’s contract was two-way, which means he spends time with the NBAs team G-league affiliate, but not more than 45 days with the NBA team. This is to get players accustomed to the NBA life and style of play – a pseudo farm system. With that said, Jabari’s time with the Maine Red Claws, the C’s G league affiliate, was not wasted. He started in the 20 games, averaging 19.3 PPG in 35.2 MPG, continuing the sweet shooting he was known for. Adding to his resume, Bird was selected as an all-star for the G-League All-Star game before being called to Boston. So far, pretty impressive.

Photo credit: Pressherald.com

Swinging back around to April, Bird made five appearances sporadically until the game versus Chicago on the 6th. In that game, he played 24 minuets, shot 7/10 (70%), 1/2 (50%) from 3, and finished with 15pts, 3ast, and 3rbs. There were slashes to the rim, shots falling, and a few dunks thrown down that got Tommy and Mike out of their seats.

From that day, I knew he was special. He ended up with 9pts and 5rbs the next game, but you didn’t hear much about him after that. Why? A deep roster with a deeper bench will do that. Plus, he needed time to develop in the G-league. But have you seen him this summer?

Time To Leave The Nest? 

Summer League hoops is pretty entertaining if you’re into following players, progression, story lines and good old round ball. Sometime you get a few competive games and get to check out the talent.

Enter the young Boston Celtics. With a team already filled to the brim with talent, the summer league unit showed no less. Yabu, Semi, Bird, and Williams were straight up mashing.

Reaching the Summer League quarter finals, the Celtics fell to the Dallas Mavericks, but that didn’t stop Bird from showing out. Jabari led the team with 16.8 PPG on 57% shooting, 6 RPG, and 3 APG. It’s clear he can get the ball in the bucket, but what’s his value to the team at the moment? With the signing of Smart, it leaves less seats on the bench at his position and more of a reason for Jabari to spread his wings elsewhere.

You might not know the name now, but if you’re a die hard you might be familiar with the thoroughbred scorer who can add a layer to the bench if utilized correctly. It’ll certainly be tough to spread minuets, and you would hate to see a talent like Bird suffocate in the G-League. So what do you do? Do you trade him? A perfect scenario for a sneaky GM would be to low-ball Boston and get a gem. Or do you keep him, and see how next year pans out? Either way, keep an eye on this Jabari Bird fella, especially if he continues to play for the green and white.

Photo credit: Celticslife.com

Breaking: The Boston Celtics are Interested in Kyle Korver (@CelticHotTakes)

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It was only a matter of time after the King’s departure from Cleveland that the franchise would begin its salary dump. With LeBron taking his talents to the Hollywood Hills, Cleveland will undergo a revamp centered around young talent out of the draft. The first name up on the list is sharpshooting specialist Kyle Korver. It’s no secret that the team has been searching for a suitor for Korver’s $7.5 million contract next season. They may have found a potential taker.

Boston Interested in Trade for Korver

Sam Amico of Amico Hoops reported Tuesday morning that the Celtics are interested in obtaining the 37-year-old veteran.

“Korver is drawing at least some interest, apparently from the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. All are Eastern Conference contenders, and Korver would be a major boost off the bench for a team looking to reach the Finals.”

Cleveland is demanding compensation in the form of a first round pick in exchange for Korver. At this point in time it is unlikely that the Celtics would be willing to cough up an asset of that kind of value for the aging veteran. Korver is entering his 16th season in the league. In 2017 he averaged 9.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting an absurd 43.6% from 3. The sharpshooter has made the long-ball his bread and butter throughout his career. There isn’t many out there that can do it better than him to this day. Korver does not rely on his athletic ability or speed to play his game, which bodes well for the longevity of his career.

Boston ranked eighth in the NBA in 3-point shooting in 2017. While this stat certainly isn’t bad, it could use some improvement if the team wants to compete with the likes of the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. Even at 37 years-old, Kyle Korver would certainly provide a boost to the team in this area.

The Marcus Smart Variable

The news comes on the heels of reports of interest heating up for restricted free agent Marcus Smart. Both the Nets and Kings have reached out to Smart in recent days. Boston extended a qualifying offer to Smart worth $6.1 million through the 2019 season. It was reported that he was close to signing the offer, but with teams beginning to take an interest in Smart’s services it is unlikely such a deal gets done. Entering the offseason Smart made it clear that he feels he is worth more than $14 million a year. Boston has since been very vocal in their desire to retain him moving forward.

Danny Ainge and the team’s front office is currently focused on Smart’s contract. If the team can’t match an offer and Marcus Smart leaves, adding a guy like Korver to fill his role could serve as a solid contingency plan. The team would be much more able and willing to take on Korver’s contract with Smart off of the books and roll the dice with the aging veteran.

If Marcus Smart leaves town, don’t be surprised to see Korver’s name popping up on trade radars before summer’s end.

Jimmy Butler To The Celtics Makes Too Much Sense

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With the Warriors beefing up their already stacked team, It’s time for Danny Ainge and company to revisit an old friend.

As Adrian Wojnarowski reported, Jimmy Butler and all star point guard Kyrie Irving would like to team up at some point. With the east looking like a one team race, it’s up to the Boston Celtics to bring banner 18 home. The question is, what would a trade package look like?The most obvious piece to first go is Jaylen Brown. He is a very physical guy who runs the floor, and plays somewhat solid defense. Here’s where it could get tricky. The other players that come to mind would be role players such as: Guerschon Yabusele or Terry Rozier. The Timberwolves get a win win player regardless. ” Scary Terry” can shoot the midrange and pop the three very consistently. While Yabusele can be a great defensive player while he has a keen eye in the perimeter and playing in the post. He needs development for sure.What’s a good trade package without draft picks? If the Celtics could maneuver this, there might be a first round swap of some nature. After all this… is Jimmy Butler worth it? yes!He has a natural sense for winning. Thus his problems with work ethic in Minnesota. He wants to improve as a team, not as an individual. Which could explain why he’s demanded trades for years now. In addition, Brad Stevens can turn any player better then before they came on the team.With no chances of acquiring  Anthony Davis, Clint Capela, or Kawhi Leonard due to various reasons. ( rose rule, cap, luxury tax, etc.) Jimmy Butler has to be the move that can push the Boston Celtics on top for the first time since 2008. While resigning Marcus Smart remains to be the top priority, Jimmy Butler to Boston needs to happen to beat the evil ones.

Proposed Trade: Kyrie Irving for Karl-Anthony Towns

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Rumors have been swirling surrounding Celtics superstar, Kyrie Irving, and his reported interest in playing with Jimmy Butler. Butler has recently reciprocated this perceived interest, openly discussing his discontent with the ‘nonchalant’ attitude of the young Wolves. Together, the duo are planning a reunion at some point in the near future. The two All-Stars are set to become free agents after the 2019 season, so these rumors should come as a bit of a concern to the front offices of the two franchises.

The Deal

(Staff photo by Stuart Cahill)

There is a simple solution to this whole issue, and it begins with shipping Kyrie Irving and Abdel Nader to Minnesota. In return, Minnesota would hopefully send back All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, along with veteran forward Taj Gibson. Boston would likely have to toss in the Memphis Grizzlies’ 2019 first-round pick to sweeten the pot. The proposed trade is as follows:

Minnesota Receives:

Kyrie Irving

Abdel Nader

2019 Memphis Grizzlies first-round Pick

Boston Receives:

Karl-Anthony Towns

Taj Gibson

Financial Logistics

Kyrie Irving is going into the final year of a fully guaranteed 5-year/ $94.3 million contract. Irving will carry a cap hit of $20 million into next season. For any deal to work, Boston would need to absorb a similar amount of money in contracts from Minnesota.

Abdel Nader is entering into the 2nd year of a 3-year contract with a 4th-year team option. The contract is worth $4.1 million total with $2 million guaranteed. The salary cap hit for next season stands at $1.3 million.

Karl-Anthony Towns is going into the final year of his rookie contract with the Timberwolves. In 2015, Towns signed a fully guaranteed 4-year/ $25.7 million contract. He will carry a cap hit of $7.8 million into next season. This figure is much lower than that of Irving’s contract, which is where Gibson comes into play.

Taj Gibson is entering into the final year of a fully guaranteed 2 year/ $28 million contract. He will carry a cap hit of $14 million into next season.

If this deal went through, this is what the cap hit for each team would look like for the 2018-19 season:

Boston:

$21.8 million against the salary cap.

Minnesota:

$21.3 million against the salary cap.

Financially, this deal works just about evenly, with Boston set to absorb a mere half a million more than Minnesota.

Boston Makes This Trade If…

Kyrie Irving is serious about disbanding from the team to join forces with Jimmy Butler. A healthy Irving is just about as good as any point guard in the league, and with him in town Boston is a formidable opponent against just about anyone. There isn’t a whole lot of sense in making a move like this unless he truly is planning on leaving. Danny Ainge will have a sit down with Kyrie at some point, whether that is before the season or before the trade deadline. If Ainge feels he’s going to lose his star point guard at the end of the season, he will not hesitate to pull the trigger on a deal.

What better value can the franchise get in return than an All-NBA caliber big man? Towns is 22 years old and has been in the league for 3 years. He is averaging 21.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game for his career. Towns adds a major boost to the team’s thin front court while solidifying the starting lineup for years to come.

Taj Gibson gets thrown into the deal as a salary filler. But he could still provide a veteran presence to a young Celtics squad. Gibson had a bounce back year in Minnesota after struggling with the Thunder. He averaged 12.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game last season.

Minnesota Makes This Trade If…

Jimmy Butler is serious about leaving the team to play alongside Kyrie Irving. This deal works so well because both players seek to join forces with one another. Minnesota Head Coach Tom Thibodeau loves Butler and utilizes the versatile 2-way guard as the focal point of his offense. The last thing Thibodeau wants is to let his star walk. By making a deal that brings in Irving, Butler gets exactly what he wants while bolstering the team’s backcourt for the foreseeable future.

Kyrie is already considered a top 3 point guard in the league. Last season Irving averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 40.8% from three. This trade would likely satisfy both stars and give the franchise a boost towards contention in the Western Conference.

Abdel Nader gets included in the trade as a young prospect with a respectable amount of potential. He didn’t see the court much last season with the Celtics, but he shined bright as a rookie in the G League. Nader took home the G League rookie of the year with averages of 21.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He has a long way to go to make it in the NBA, but the potential is undoubtedly there.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ 2019 first-round pick conveys to the team if it falls between picks 9-30. If it does not convey in 2019, it becomes top-6 protected in 2020. If it yet again fails to convey, the pick is fully unprotected in 2021. The inclusion of such a reasonably valuable pick would be the icing on the cake in this proposed trade offer. Adding another lottery talent to a roster centered around Jimmy Butler and Kyrie Irving could tremendously help the franchise contend for years.

Will a Deal Get Done?

This deal is a win-win for both franchises. Both teams get a young All-Star caliber talent that will bolster their roster for years to come. Kyrie and Jimmy will be satisfied with the opportunity to play alongside one another. Such a deal relies heavily on how much pressure Irving and Butler put on their respective front offices to make it happen. That being said, don’t be surprised if trade rumors start picking up surrounding the two teams. Karl-Anthony Towns may be closer to Boston green than we think.

Potential Trade Packages for Jimmy Butler

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It looks like All-Star shooting guard, Jimmy Butler, does not want to play in Minnesota anymore. He has grown tired of playing for a young, nonchalant Timberwolves team, according to recent reports. As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, Butler is looking to team up in free agency with Kyrie next season.

The question is if the Celtics should pursue Butler or wait to see if they can get him in free agency.  Butler has not stated that he is interested in playing for the Celtics, but has said that he would love to team up with Kyrie. Both Kyrie and Jimmy Butler are set to become UFAs in 2019.

With the Golden State Warriors adding Demarcus Cousins to their team, this could be the Celtics counter-move in the war of attrition. Butler has proven that he is top-20 player in the NBA. He is a four-time All Star, Most Improved Player, four-time All-Defensive second team, and two-time All-NBA third team. He even looked like he was on his way to being a nominee for MVP last season before he got injured.

Jimmy had 22.2 PPG, 4.9 APG, 5.3 RPG, and 2.0 SPG in 59 games. Over the past four seasons, he has averaged over 20.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, and 5.0 RPG. He is an inarguably solid scorer and one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.

With Butler saying he won’t re-sign with the T-Wolves next season, he is most likely on the way to the trade block. If the Celtics were going to get him, it would cost some big assets, but nothing too big since Butler already said he is out of Minnesota. Here are some trade packages the Celtics could do for Jimmy Butler:

Terry Rozier, Sacramento/Philadelphia Pick, Marcus Morris

Photo Credit: NESN

This trade involves Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris, and the first round pick which will either be from the 76ers or Kings. Rozier has one year left on his contract and will look to get paid this upcoming season. His role was significantly increased after Kyrie got injured. He started 16 regular season games and all 19 playoff games.

Marcus Morris also has one year left on his contract. Morris was acquired from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Avery Bradley last year.

Lastly, the first round draft pick the Celtics would give up will most likely be a high pick with the recent history. This adds even more value to the pick.

https://twitter.com/TheRenderNBA/status/988941821299625984

Jaylen Brown

Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated

Jaylen Brown has been thrown into a lot of trade scenarios this offseason. Brown was the third overall pick by the Celtics in the 2016 NBA Draft. He showed last year why he was selected so high with 14.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.6 APG, and starting in every game in which he played (70). Jaylen is one of the best perimeter defenders in the Eastern Conference. He is a target of interest for many teams. However, Brown looks to be a future all-star in the NBA and would be tough to give up.

Other Considerations

If the Celtics do acquire Jimmy Butler, they would have no cap space to sign Marcus Smart. The Celtics are placed in a tough scenario with Jimmy Butler. Butler and Kyrie want to play together, but the C’s would have to break up the core chemistry to acquire him.

But at the end of the day, Celtics are among the favorites to make it out of the East. Jimmy Butler could be the reason the Celtics hang banner number 18.