A look into the state of our payroll and roster: “What Josh Minott deal signals for looming Celtics offseason trade”
I think you try to keep Hauser, unless you get an huge offer. He’s so good and is on a great contract, he’s exactly the kind of player you want around Tatum.
So the path then would either be, Simons + Niang trades, likely involving having to trade 2nds. Or a Jaylen/White trade where you get a ton of assets to re-set (plus a better pick in 26)
I too certainly hope we find a way to keep Hauser and he gets better this season after being injured last season. But things doesn’t always go your way in the league. And I hope we keep the core including Jaylen and White even though I know that is not totally out of question rn. It will take a haul though.
Jay King had reported earlier last week this iin regard to Hauser:
Speculation has surrounded Sam Hauser’s future because it likely wouldn’t be difficult to find a taker for his four-year, $45 million contract (which would also fit inside another team’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception), but the Celtics are said to be more focused on avenues that would allow them to hold onto Hauser, who has proven himself as a valuable rotation piece and one of the NBA’s best shooters. The team agreed to acquire Simons and Georges Niang this week, but both players are candidates to be moved before they ever play a game for Boston.
Hauser is analytics darling. Guys that big who are that efficient who are also solid defenders get way more than 10mil. I think they should keep him
I think you seriously have to consider trading one of Jaylen or white if a huge offer is out there, not only would you get a massive haul but also would clear tons of money and get a better pick in 26. If not, Simons+ Niang + JD trades
Yeah, if we trade Hauser for crap, we have to look at the season after and wonder what we’re even left with. We have the main 3 guys (Jays + White) with 1 good role player (PP) and MAYBE a couple of useful young guys (Hugo I’m hopeful on, but Scheierman is the only one that I really see right now as a pretty good bet to become a useful role player; I think Queta and JD are what they are and I think this is it for Walsh, he’s gotta really show us something this season or that’s it).
After that, what other avenues would they even have to improve? Sure, we can get another guy but Simons, Niang, and the rest of the players I didn’t list out are crap and aren’t going to bring anything back (please, X, tell me you are playable this season and return to being a good role player bench big!). We’d have to attach all of our picks to those unappealing players to get anything valuable in return, and we have to make that choice soon with Simons contract.
I say hang onto Hauser because they need useable bodies for when Tatum returns. Baylor is good but I actually don’t think he’s a Hauser replacement, I think he’s a very different player.
So there are not much to gain for trading or cutting the minumum guys just to replace them for others if we don’t especially want to add some minimum contract player from free agency, summer league or somewhere. No need to discuss last 8 players in this list, we’ll just wait and see. (I am very high Gonzalez personally.)
The first three is our core and I don’t think we hit a direction to trade any of them. I would add Pritchard to that core, as Brad himself mentioned his name with those three as “our core” just before the free agency and it makes perfect sense with that contract and his role.
So all our moves will be really around Simons, Niang and Hauser.
As many already mentioned, it is really really hard to think we are keeping Simons in any case. That is the contract that a) can let us go under tax for this season b) open up enough space for adding talent, especially in the center position. Trade deadline is the expiring date of that contract unless he both plays well in our system AND ok with Pritchard level team friendly new contract. It is not going to happen.
EDIT: Don’t forget that we don’t have to answer our needs immediately when we trade Simons. A TPE can be useful in the next off-season for getting a starting big or something.
If Niang is gone, it won’t be a loss but we won’t gain any asset back either. So, it will be side move in any case, we can dump his salary for going under tax at some point if needed. Or we can keep him as a shooter in a position of need until Tatum returns and let him walk after that. Whatever.
Hauser is the bargaining chip if we want someone or if some team knocks on the door to get a sharp shooter.
Being patient for a good opportunity to get a starting big in the long-term seems like the essence right now. I know, no news…
TPE from a trade generated this season won’t help us next season because we’d be hard capped at the first apron if we used it, and the entire point of using it would be to add to payroll
Yeah, I forgot that rule. You are right.
I’ve been playing with the idea of dumping salary while somehow adding to our front court
Front court players are so hard to come by these days and we are going to need something long-term.
I think there’s a deal with our old buddies in Utah. It sounds like they are having a hard time trying to find a place for John Collins and they just got rid of 2 guards, so maybe there’s something there?
As part of the deal, Hauser is traded into the Jazz MLE.
Save us 17mil, so not the entire way there.
At the trade deadline, you trade 2min contracts and replace them with 2 pro-rated min contracts. That would just barely get you below the tax.
I think you only go this route if you believe Collins could be a long-term piece in our rotation and he extends for not a ton of money, (like 4⁄60 or something)
Edit:
My idea for Collins long-term isn’t to be the starting center, rather to be a bench 4⁄5 who can start when needed.
Collins is firmly a PF, which Tatum also is, so I don’t really see that one. Yes, you can push everyone down a spot since Jrue isn’t here, but I think Tatum is better at the 4 than 3, especially if he loses a step from the injury.
I think Collins is a 4⁄5, but better played at the 4
The primary issue is that there just aren’t good centers that are out there and available.
Long-term, i feel like Collins can be a super 6th man at the 4⁄5, kind of like Al has been for us. Al was a better 5, but the big man market is just so desolate that having someone like Collins could be helpful long-term.
This is what I bring up when talking about the Rudy Gobert trade for MIN. They gave up 5 first round picks for a DPOY-level centre who basically plays all season. That sort of set the market for what you can expect because there’s no other healthy bigs around that are available.
The Celtics will be looking for a long time to find a permanent solution at centre that doesn’t involve sending out lots of picks. Have to work with the scraps in the meantime.
Yup and I disagree with people who think that Tatum + Collins can’t co-exist as a 4⁄5 pairing. The biggest reason being that both are great rebounders.
I view Collins as more a back-up 4⁄5 who can start when needed, so we still need to find that actual starting center. But Collins is a starter level player who can play both the 4 in a double-big lineup and a 5 in a small ball/5-out lineup
I like the idea but I just don’t know what Tatum we’re getting after this injury. Nobody does.
Here’s a short list of his critical responsibilities at the 4 even outside the huge scoring and playmaking load he’s expected to carry game in game out:
Weak side helper extraordinaire Elite defensive rebounder Fast break menace
Will those parts of his game be gone or ineffective at his usage rate post-Achilles? Even if they aren’t, do we really want him to have the same workload that broke him down?
I almost wonder if his days as a forward are over, and with Brad wanting the guys to play faster with more cutting, if we see a White + Tatum backcourt where he plays as a supersized 2 guard.
Then you’d have Jaylen leading the way with a young group of dynamic play finishing forwards from whoever sticks this year, and whatever big man we are able to acquire.
I’m not the biggest Kessler guy because I don’t think he fits our system as of the last few years, but that system might be dead. Brad’s next few moves will be telling in that regard.
We don’t have a hurry though. We can stand patient this off-season, all next season and the off-season after (writing with a crying voice…)
I have to disagree even though I like how you move with the contracts. Collins might be good this season, but when you have two Jays on the roster again, a real starting center especially good at rebounding and screens, hopefully passing and/or defending too is a much much pressing need. Yeah, I know the market rn but we have no hurry, do we?
One point a lot of fans miss, maybe you miss too: When we trade Simons we don’t have to get the center or another value immediately. A TPE can be useful down the line too.
Yea, I don’t see Collins as a starting center. I see him as a back up 4⁄5 who can start when needed. Tatum + Collins on the floor together as a 4⁄5 isn’t a bad proposition either when you consider both are excellent rebounders and the amount of truly great offensive centers are limited, especially in the East.
We don’t need to get a center now and TPE’s/MLE’s could be used, as well as very favorable salary matching rules when we are below the tax next year. However, getting a very cheap long-term back-up 4⁄5 who can start when needed, (ideally we get a healthier starter than KP), is still a great opportunity.
Collins himself is someone you can get next off-season in the same manner. However, you can sure him up long-term now and get under the tax this year.
If we will be under the tax with Collins instead of Niang, count me in lol. But the important thing is the contract after that. We cannot pay much for a back-up at 4 or wing as we won’t go under the second apron or something next year too surely. I doubt we will have a 15M+ back up for next two seasons which will leave less space for a starting center and maybe a starting guard pushing PP to his 6th man role again.
100% agree
If Collins next contract is too large, then this plan is just not tenable.
However, we are slated to be a big chunk below the tax next year. Another reason to get Collins now is that in using the TPE/MLE you hard cap yourself at the 1st apron. Getting him now means we use neither and can see if we can add salary other ways.
In an ideal world, Hugo is the 3rd guard in our rotation, allowing us to really maximize the money we put in the big man position.
You probably don’t have enough for a starting guard, but we are well below the tax next year so that you can afford a good starting center if Collins signs for like 15mil annually, (with raises each year this is like 13mil year 1).
That amount is about the best you can hope for in a back-up 5 who can start. Here’s the other thing, it’s better for us to invest in the big man position because it’s the position most likely to get hurt. Not only that, but PP and White are relative ironmen.
13mil for Collins in year 1 should give you enough to pay a starting center 20ish mil and find ways later to get under the tax at the trade deadline in 2026-2027
Ah, yeah, I forgot that hard cap rule, thank you. lol, it seems like you put a lot of thought on this.
How do pro-rated minimums work? I’ve never heard of that before.
Love the Collins idea, I feel like we could very easily do what the hornets did with PJ and make him a solid player. Brad loves versatility and JB loves throwing lobs in the PnR 🤷♂️
Technically, every min contract is pro-rated. It just means that they are paid according to a percentage of the season they are signed for
One great example of us doing this is in 2022. Look at our cap sheet
If you notice, we had 5 players with a COMBINED cap hit for less than 2mil. This is because we made a big trade at the deadline and filled the roster with minimum contracts pro-rated for how much of the season was already played.
It helped us dodge the tax that year
I like Collins & have always believed he could be a very valuable piece on a good team & particularly w the Celtics core of JT/JB/DWhite. He’s never been on a good team really & possible could be great for him to be in a situation where shit matters. I don’t see a problem w him playing the floor & bumping Tatum (when back) to the 3 in some lineups. Always liked the size we had w Jaylen at guard & Tatum at the 3. Even w/o JT next year I think Collin’s would be better than Simons (tho Simons could ball out in a contract year.
I’ve been trying to cook up similar deals with Detroit with Isaiah Stewart coming to Boston
He is NOT the answer
Yeah I doubt anybody we get in a salary shedding trade is really going to be the answer but we can’t go into the season with the current front court depth chart
I know we aren’t competing for a chip this year outside of
-Resigning Al (who people believe is going to the warriors)
-trading Simons for a cheaper center AND signing dame to the min and hoping dame Tatum are both 100% for the playoffs (which doesn’t seem likely)
So I just want to get a lottery pick develop the young guys and bring back KP (and Al if he’s still kicking lol) next year
Btw the centers who are cheaper and likely available is Vuc (20) KO (13) JI (15) (none who are championship caliber)
I’d love gafford (15) but I don’t think he’s being moved I would welcome rob Williams back with open arms but I don’t think he can stay healthy
Claxton (25) if still able to be a defensive anchor would likely be the best center the Celtics could acquire but they would have to move Niang or hauser to acquire dame and be under the 2 apron
Sorry this is long but I think the Celtics are going to get under the tax to make moves in 26⁄27 not for this year
KP isn’t going to be any healthier after another year. That ship has sailed brother.
Will we ever see or hear from Yam Madar?
no
Trade Simons back to Portland for Timelord
Want my baby boy Rob Lob back
Idgaf if he’s injury prone
In no sane world are we trading Hauser and keeping Niang. Niang is gone and if they want to get under luxury, Simmons will have to go too. With that said, losing Simmons makes us a significantly worse team next season.
Niang is gone now or later, that is no question. It will be about books and timing but it won’t get us anything either. So ignore that. Simons have to go, sure. Hauser is another issue, depends on other moves and needs. I would prefer to keep him for sure, but there is no other we would like to trade and will have some value either if we chase any move at any point.
All that matters is that that we are under the 2nd apron. First apron is just a tax bill. The new owners are billionaires they can pay the tax.
We are not under the second apron actually. We are back there after filling the roster. More importantly, the tax line is where we have to go if we want to add frontcourt depth and starting bigs AND stay under the second apron next year too. (Which we kinda have to for future.) that 20M space between two lines is our flexibility to make the additions needed. So we can’t stay put, evrn if you ignore the tax. (I don’t care for that either.) The summary is up there.
Damn, why does Queta get paid less than Tillman lol
Where’s the dude that wrote the book about Simons? Maybe he will listen to someone else.
A trade Is coming. Se hace ti Manu playera un cheap contractos. I think with the picks que have 17 signed players
Posible targets
Rumors posible buy out Bradley beal.
MPJ, no. Did you watch him last two seasons? He needed picks on top of himself to get Cam. Pass.
Send Simons and DWhite for Markennen, and then where to go with being so thin on guard and center and only 20M at most until 2nd apron to fill all of those needs? There won’t be another 45M player on this roster l, forget about it.
Neither Kuminga nor Moody will be as useful as DWhite next to Jays. Pass.
I loove Smart, That will actually push further into apron rn and he is not the Smart we knew lately. Sorry pass. (For Simons, maybe.)
Actually the only one makes sense in long term is Claxton.
Niang can leave in the mini van he came to town in
At some point he will. But it won’t answer much when it comes to our math problems, especially beyond this season.
So this is how you do this
Step 1 - Nieng + a SRP into team X’s exception
Step 2 - add a vet minimum in his place
Don’t extend JD
Mid way Gain - about 8M save
Trade away one of the minimum 2.5M contracts , and sign instead Amari for the bare minimum.
You basically finish the season about 10M over the tax.
But, in the off season, b4 the season ends, you can trade Houser away into s9me team’s exception and drop below the tax at the last minute
I’m curious if they could move Niang w/o moving a pick. He’s a surprising good shooter and has size so teams could definitely do worse. Was a real rotation player for the Cavs
Sure.
All the transactions are market price. Whatever the market dictates swings the picks exchange.
So you lose Hauser for nothing without doing anything else either. The math might work but doesn’t seem to be a good plan
It’s a better plan than dumping houser upfront.
The idea is to create flexibility and decide at the trade deadline after you collect more intel as the season develops.
I just gave an example how you can do it.
But by the trade deadline the landscape could be totally different, maybe Simones will become 2 X 10M contracts, and you keep one of them till the off-season dump instead of Houser.
Idk. The point is, you can start this season with 2 out of the 3 and adjust later
Tillman, Niang and Hauser (unfortunately) gets it done.
Keep Simons!!
“gets it done” only to go under tax for now IF we add no players which is something we cannot. Then, if you add 2 mins, you are only 15M under second apron (which we won’t go above in 2026-27 too) while looking at Simons next contract, an empty spot at starting center position and being over the tax in an off-year. That is the point of sharing this situation of ours. We just can’t. He is a walking TPE if we are not trading one of our core players. (I hope not.)
I don’t understand the Minott signing in the slightest. $5 million dollars for absolute trash
2.5M for a year, just like any min for a player who wants to prove it. Please have a look at the situation above before answering the title, there is no loss there with that contract. At least of our issues even if you are right.