THIS!
Idk if we can do it, but I like Zubac. The way the conference is looking, if Tatum is back and we get an upgrade at the 5, the East is winnable.
The east is winnable now. This would greeatly increase our chances though.
Out of every potential hypothetical target Zu gives me the most hope.
I may be delusional for this, but I think Queta can be Zu, or at least close enough to that. He’s 26 but barely played his first 3 seasons. And his numbers this year so far aren’t that far off from Zu in his age 26 year.
Also - I may be delusional for this, too - I kinda like what we’re getting from Simons off the bench. Expendable, sure, but IDK if his trade value at this point is higher than his on court value.
We should trade for Zu, have Queta play meaningful backup minutes and hopefully resign him summer 2027 with his bird rights as Zubac’s contract is expiring. Or just have a good backup for the next few years at this low cost and let him get paid be old somewhere else if someone comes over the top on salary. You need multiple good bigs to compete.
Love Queta, but his weakness (other than 3 point shooting) is with post bigs. Need some post D vs Jokic, KAT, Sengun. Z would be a nice pairing, although he doesn’t shoot 3s either.
… for this season.
A first round pick is cost controlled for at least three with an a team option for more.
I don’t want to mortgage the future for a short-term gain now.
Every year, this sub fixated on some player it wants the team to trade for. This year it’s apparently Zubac.
It doesn’t seem like a good idea to me.
Two firsts is the same as they gave up for White, a less proven player at the time. The east looks incredibly weak and the young wings look like they are all Rotation players. No draft pick is a guaranteed success, especially if the celtics are going to consistently be a playoff team. Zubac has been consistently a top 10 center, better than porzingis in terms of consistency and health and would massively help our interior scoring, defense and rebounding.
Easy dude lol, you’re drawing too many strong conclusions here. It’s a community chat board, we aren’t making any actual trades. No harm in saying you like a player.
Zubac is on a 3 year deal with an extremely team friendly AAV and is exactly what Boston needs long term.
They can reset the repeater tax by moving Schierman and Simons for Z, and then next year moving Hauser. May come down to ownership finances and the price is 2 first rounders.
I’m with you. I also get people that people say we’re just chatting but then they give you butt hurt responses when all you did was voice your opinion. Imagine if we would have mortgaged our future for Anthony Davis(who really hasn’t done much to move the needle for anyone) that everyone was pining after like school girls for K-pop 😂.
Two first rounders is tough. I’d really like to keep it to one plus all our seconds and Schierman. That might not get it done.
this is not Steve Bulpett writing you know. the article sources a trade framework from Fadeaway World that floats C’s trading their 2027 1st and the 2028 1st C’s have from Spurs. Two problems: 1 you can’t trade consecutive firsts in future drafts 2. We don’t have a Spurs 1st in 2028 … this rumor is just a fan-made rumor
They thought the spurs’ swap was a first apparently lol
The swap isn’t even in our favor, it’s the Spurs who get the better of our two picks
It is also a fan-made post🤓
It would have to be either 2026 + 2031 picks, or 2027+2031. They do also have the pelicans second round pick in 2026 (currently pick 31)
We are 30th in defensive rebounding and yet people are hesitant to give up 2 firsts for one of the best rebounders in the league and an elite ball stopper in DJJ? They’re on multi year deals, which means they WILL play with Tatum next year without needing to sign them. Not sure what the risk of giving up some first rounders that will literally take years to develop into NBA ready player for win-now players is but hey, what do I know. That college boy could be anything, maybe even another Tatum when he’s gone, right?
And look at the young talent we have developing. They appeal to me much more than some future firsts that will spend eternity in Maine.
30th in defensive rebounding means nothing… the Celtics have out-rebounded the opposing teams 8⁄10 games…
It absolutely does, the celtics are doing g a great job offensive rebounding, but are struggling to end defensive possessions with a board. Rebounding better and they could be a top 5 defense again, especially with Tatum back
I’m not hesitant, but Brad has only moved assets for centers that can shoot (Al and Kristaps). Zubac has given zero indication that he can. He’s only even attempted 12 3s ever. 72.7% from the line.
‘On the surface, Boston doesn’t appear desperate for frontcourt help’
Ha what surface are you looking at??
I saw that and was perplexed as well, my friend lol
I think Zubac is being wildly overrated in these trade scenarios.
One of the best rebounders in the league, all defensive team, and a key figure in guarding against Jokic in the Nuggets vs Clippers series is “overrated” to you? We’re also getting DJJ, who helped the Mavs get to the finals
Second in the league in rebounds fwiw. I wouldn’t want them to give up 2 firsts though
Also one of the best defensive bigs in the league
Yeah, but those picks could be anything! Maybe even another Tatum this time y’know?
Made a post about this, we need a 3rd team, we send a good player on a contract worth moving (I suggested Hauser for a team that need 3pt shooting) + Tillman, they give LAC 2 picks and we get back another guy on a small contract as filler
With the young talent we have, those first picks will be stashed in Maine and underdevelop
He’s definitely not lol. I wouldn’t give up two first round picks for him but he isn’t being wildly overrated.
For sure he is. I think we need to aim way higher
Any alternative ideas/scenarios in particular?
I’d make this kind of move for Bam
Top 10 center in the league making less than 20 mil
I would wait. Simons is on an expiring deal. Tatum is months away, and even then, we don’t know what he will look like. There will be plenty of teams tanking, plenty of injuries around the league where players become available that aren’t at this moment. Let the chips fall where they may. In the meantime, keep developing Queta, Walsh, Minnott..
You give me hope if Zubac isn’t pursued. I just really want to dump Simons contract for a big to work when Queta is off (due to foul trouble/injury and we’re not running small). Every other position looks well.
Brad thinks more strategically as a long term fix, not just a quick fix. Not that Zubac wouldn’t be a huge help for the next 2 yrs. We just have to look at all vantage points. That is a lot of money to tie up, especially when OKC is ridiculously loaded with talent. Our hope this yr was all about finding at least one single player other than Jt/JB/White/Pritchard (and maybe Hauser) to work with going forward next yr. This is starting to work out way more than we bargained for, with these very cheap contracts in Minnott, Walsh, Queta…albeit, it’s still very early so let’s not get too giddy too quick. But with these very cheap way we are going, we may not need as many pieces as people think, where we get back to our championship pedigree. Of course we have some holes, but I believe there are ways to get there without giving up the farm to get there. Just have to let the chips fall over time before we throw out a bunch of draft picks and a lot more money. In the meantime, u want to allow these young guys to blossom more and more with minutes. The east is completely wide open right now, even with what we currently have, so at this very second, really no rush to make a sudden move.
Like I said, what may not be available now, could be available in February or even offseason…we are in a great spot to continue to grow while those chips fall in time.
Meantime- Walsh at 21 yrs old, Hugo at 19, Minnott at 23….and Queta under a cheap cheap deal, it’s almost like getting draft picks that are actually working out really well for the future!
They could also just let Simons expire and then use the KP trade exception. There isn’t any urgency to move him.
Zubac is not worth two firsts by a long shot.
Bane and Bridges each went for 5. 2 would be a freaking steal
Doesn’t mean it’s worth it though. The going rate doesn’t dictate quality
I think you might want to actually watch his film man. Zubac is a fantastic rim protector and exactly the type of big Tatum thrives with in the high screen & roll. Everyone should want him on their team. This shouldn’t even be a question. Do the damn trade lmao
I’ve watched him plenty. lack of versatility in switch-heavy defenses, struggling against perimeter creators and quicker guards, bad for spacing-, limiting his effectiveness in playoff scenarios where opponents target mismatches, often leading to foul trouble or being exploited by guards, he struggles defending the perimeter and in high-screen actions.
Bad fit for the Celtics and all but guaranteed to leave in free agent when a team way way overpays for him.
I’m not keen on the idea of giving up our first in order to … what … make the playoffs this year? Win the East?
I don’t know. It seems short-sighted.
You don’t want to make the playoffs and play meaningful basketball right now? I sure do.
I want to load up with the best players we can possibly get right now, and push as far into the postseason as we can. I’m not interested in turning the Celtics into the Red Sox, and spending the next 3-5 years being perpetually 3-5 years away from title contention because nobody wants to give up draft picks and/or young talent for currently established stars and elite talent.
He’s signed for 2027
That’s two years with brown and Tatum along with white and PP
it’s a good core and they can start building the chemistry this year. This is a good team this year
He will be a free agent after the 2027-28 season…
In order to have a contending level big man on the roster for at the very least through 27-28
Clippers would never do this. Actually, wait. It’s the clippers. They would do this.
I’d personally do this trade, I like Zubac and wanted him back in 2016. I just don’t think the Celtics do it. When it comes to Afernee Simons, I think they’re prioritizing cutting as much cap as possible in a trade to reset the tax. The Derrick Jones contract is much more tradable than Simons’, but you’re also paying 3 picks for that.
When it comes to Afernee Simons, I think they’re prioritizing cutting as much cap as possible in a trade to reset the tax.
Probably the millionth time I’ve seen this claim now, and I have not seen one single solitary source for it on any such occasion.
People know it takes two consecutive seasons to reset the tax, right? People know that Tatum comes back next year (at the latest) and it’ll be time to contend again instead of pinching pennies, right? People know that the KP trade exception will expire in July, right? People know that the Celtics aren’t a poverty franchise, right?
You’re right but we just have to be below the tax line by the end of the year so hypothetically let’s say we make this move then some ancillary moves to under under if before the deadline, we just need to maintain that through next year and it’s done.
Not saying that’s easy but we’d have traded all our picks and have a contender already, just needing to maintain the payroll as is.
It’s not easy but it’s not as hard as some make it out to be. I also dgaf about Chisholm’s $$$ so I don’t want to do it unless it’s clearly sensible from a basketball standpoint too.
You’re right but we just have to be below the tax line by the end of the year
Says who?
I meant like IF they’re trying to, for this year to count as one of the two required years, it doesn’t have to be below all year but just by year end.
You can make it a three team deal and trade Derrick Jones and some seconds to another team with space for him. Zubac is 9 million less than Simons so that’s big savings.
East is up for grabs, but this would be a piece to solidify another banner run. If our “bigs” are holding their own now to a degree, I could only picture how vicious the 4⁄5 spot becomes for us adding Zubac. Outside of Jokic, and Bam he’s the next best big man in the league with veteran status.
Exactly. And make a hypothetical about those other two guys’ price tags…
I’d be far more excited to keep the two firsts and not have Zubac’s cash on the books.
I dont know. I don’t care about the firsts as much as I care about having them to trade for someone else. Are we really beating OKC this year if we get out of the East? I’d rather save the ammo for a fully healthy Tatum year
Zubac is signed through the 2027-28 season
Kornet would’ve been better imo
Derick Jones junior would be an absolute highlight film for us as well. With Tatum and Brown getting all the defensive attention there will be wide open lanes for him to be creative
Need more cutters, that’s for sure. Easy points with the middle always so open.
Derrick Jones needs to go to a different team to make the money work or we send one or Garza/boucher/Tillman out as well to a third team.
Then it works fine. It’s a really good trade and I’d love. The price is fair imo. The only question is do the clippers wanna trade him and if so; when ?
But the only picks we we can trade atm is the 2026 first or the 2027 first + the 2031 first
TLDR - Zubac is signed through the 2027-28 season and we have young talent that is developing handsomely. These picks will end up in Maine.
If Brad says it, then yeah. Otherwise, no.
Are we ducking the apron if we also get Derrick Jones?
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He could be rerouted to a third team or sent away in the offseason
Actually very hard to make the salary’s work as both at in the 1st apron. They both need to almost exactly match salaries…
Derrick Jones Jr gets dumped to a third team (Brooklyn?)
Puts us back above the apron. I also maybe crazy but I feel like Queta can do what he does with more time. Showed flashes of it the other day with 19 points and 18 rebounds. Zubac is good and would be a good addition to the team.
The money of this is hard. The Clips are hard capped one way. I think for this to work, it might need for the Celtics to convert a two-way like Shulga to a full contract and send him out but I’m not sure whether the mechanics of that would make it permissible.
Am I the only person that doesn’t want them to use 1st picks on him? Simons and a second maybe but
DJJ
No. For two firsts I want Dunn.
I’d be interested but I would want to hang on to the 2026 pick given that this would signal a launch into a new contention window.
Walsh, Hugo, and Baylor are looking promising but adding another young guy on a team friendly contract from a stacked draft would help going forward.
That contract sounds like one the Clippers shouldn’t move
I don’t know if Zubac actually goes for two firsts. There’s talk of Giannis only fetching 3 firsts (plus other quality players of course). I wouldn’t be mad at it though as long as there’s protections on at least one of the picks
Absolutely not, I’m not trading away our future when we already have a decent enough rim running Center who plays defense and this team developing a serious defensive identity as it is. If we need to trade Simons fine, we can find something else that’s better and probably simply draft picks and a prospect in return. No need to sell the farm.
The East is winnable now and the Celtics are in the thick of it without Tatum, Tatum comes back in late February or early March as it sounds like he’s possibly going to and this team can make serious noise in the playoffs. I’m not sure that if they put their mind to it that there is a team in the Eastern conference as they are currently constructed assuming Tatum comes back that they would struggle with. Not saying they wouldn’t lose a series but I don’t think they get blown out by any of these / get swept by any of these teams.
We also are still over the first apron and we’re not far below the second apron so it causes serious financial issues and this is the best season to address those issues because of how weak the NBA is overall with all the injuries to other players.
Also why are we bailing out another NBA franchise on a 3 for 1 basis, that has no first round draft picks of their own and is an absolute bottom feeder. You don’t do this trade because you have to also think about how you are impacting the overall NBA landscape not only yourself but also digging another team that’s been poorly run out of an insurmountable hole.
This entire concept of a trade is probably one of the dumber concepts I’ve seen brought up on the sub in a while.
The clippers are desperate and we aren’t. Idk if we’re going to align.
DJJ would have to get rerouted to a 3rd team. Celtics should look to get under the 1st apron with this move as well but we’d be taking more salary back (which you can’t do when over the 1st apron). So you can either reroute DJJ to the Nets and throw in a nice 2nd rounder, OR reroute him to the Bulls and a couple valuable seconds (like I’m talking a 2032 second rounder) and Baylor or something for Ayo Dosunmu. Ayo is expiring and Chicago might not want to extend him with Coby White being the priority along with the fact Giddey, White, and Okoro are all keeping starting bid over him. I might get called delusional for that but I like me my blue chip prospects let’s make him another Derrick White
Look we overvalue bigs in this sub like it’s the 80’s-90’s. This is not the league of your forefathers that saw a large majority of shots coming from in the paint. Dare I say that there’s only a couple of bigs in the league right now that would be worthy of multiple firsts.
Big guys are just not dominating the league like they used to and if a big isn’t multi dimensional( can shoot from anywhere, can pass, set screens, run the floor, play high level d and can actually put the ball on the floor and drive) then they are definitely not worth multiple firsts round picks.
Bigs are cheaper now. We have a pretty good reputation of developing bigs. We also have been good at making bigs look better because of the way that we use them within our system. I don’t believe we need to spend all of our money on a big.
All we need is one more serviceable guy and I don’t think we need to break the bank to get him.
Two firsts I’ll pass
Why are you all so enamored by Zubac, the guy doesn’t have a jumpshot.
I have no interest in big men who can’t space the floor.
“Hey, Alexa. What is Neemias Queta’s three point attempts, makes, and percentage for this season?”
Doesn’t mean we need to get someone else who can’t make threes.
Literally the only year we won a championship it was because we had big men who can space the floor (Horford, Porzingis).
Same for most teams who won the championship in the past couple of years.
“Hey Alexa. For the 2024-25 NBA Champion OKC Thunder, who was their starting center and what was his three point attempts, makes, and percentage?”
That’s exactly the point tho. Now you have two bigs who don’t space the floor
I bet we can take on Chris Paul in this deal too, maybe send out Tillman.
I wouldn’t hate bench CP3 on this team. Giving guidance to our younger guys and I feel like he’d vibe with Joe.