NBA Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous NBA thoughts and observations as we near official NBA free agency.

I'm 100% in favor of the Celtics offering Kemba Walker a 4-year max contract. I hope this signing comes true... That would leave just starting center as a position of need for Boston and the solution I'd love to see happen is Danny Ainge trading a 2nd round pick in next year's draft to Phoenix to get back Aron Baynes who might not be the best talent available but who we know fits chemistry wise and is familiar with Brad Stevens system. Assuming this transaction would be allowed by the CBA... There's been some speculation that Kevin Durant will file a massive lawsuit against Golden State for the way they handled his injury. I don't see this happening for three reasons. First if Durant still gets a super-max contract from some team (which he will) then where's the financial harm? Second Durant's own doctor cleared him to play in the finals. Finally Durant has made and will continue to make a boatload of money - why do something so negative that can potentially do as much damage to Durant's reputation as it would to the Warriors? Discovery is a bitch... Amused by the rumors of Houston trying to acquire Jimmy Butler. I really don't see him as a fit there because last time I checked the game is still played with only one ball. This has the potential to have the team chemistry of gummy bears and acid.  Also rumored that Boston might try to facilitate the sign and trade with the aim of getting Clint Capela which would be nice but not if it were to cost Marcus Smart. I'd be 100% against that...

NBA Thoughts

Things are getting crazy in the NBA "Hot Stove". Here's some of my thoughts/predictions.

New York Knicks - my guess is Kristaps Porzingis is not traded by the Knicks. Phil Jackson will realize how angry he's made Knick fans even suggesting Porzingis may be available and nothing will happen. Could that change if Jackson drafts 7'0" Lauri Markkanen Thursday night? Yes. If Jackson gets his ego all a twitter and trades Porzingis to show the world who is boss then Boston can offer the best package. Next year's Nets number one and the Lakers first if 2-5 (or Kings 2019 unprotected) plus Jae Crowder is a pretty fair exchange. If Jackson also trades Carmelo Anthony to the Cavaliers straight-up for Kevin Love then the frontcourt of Crowder, Love and Markkanen is pretty decent and with two top picks in 2018 the Knicks are actually in better shape than they are right now. Better chance is that Porzingis stays put and Jackson screws things up.

Cavaliers - Jimmy Butler supposedly says he wants to be traded to Cleveland. Problem is the Cavs don't have the assets. The only real asset the Cavs have is Kevin Love and the only destination I can picture for Love is the Knicks for Carmelo Anthony. As a Boston fan I'd love to see Carmelo in Cleveland. The confusion, discord and eventual falling apart would be delicious.

Bulls - whither Jimmy Butler? As I said - I don't think the Cavs have the assets and the Celtics I don't think really want to spend their assets on Butler. So where does he land? My guess is in Minnesota with old coach Tom Thibodeau.

Celtics - I think the draft rumors of Danny Ainge picking Jason Tatum are correct but after that? Who knows? It will be fun to watch and the 2017-18 Celtics will be better than this year's team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals.

State of the Celtics

The trade that will send the overall number one pick in the NBA Draft from the Celtics to the Sixers in exchange for the third pick in the draft is expected to be made official today. Everyone is asking, "What is Danny Ainge thinking?" Some ask the question derisively thinking he's crazy to be gambling on "assets" when "sure thing" Markelle Fultz is just sitting there at number one. And he's trading him to a Division rival? Crazy!

Others are asking "What is Danny Ainge thinking?" because they think/know that another shoe will be dropping. Put me in this camp.

My guess is Ainge is fine with trading the number one for the third pick because Fultz wasn't at the top of his draft board anyway. If that's the case why not pick up another great asset like the 2-5th pick in next years's draft or the unprotected Kings pick in 2019 and still get the guy you had listed at number one on your draft board? Remember Ainge was the guy who saw the potential of Isaiah Thomas when nobody else in the NBA did and used a draft pick he got basically for free to trade for him. Ainge is an excellent talent evaluator.

So what does Boston do with all these assets Ainge has accumulated? Paul George? How about the Lakers pick next year (or Kings 2019 1st), Jae Crowder and the Celtics 2019 1st rounder. Does that get it done? Or does it raise the stakes to weaken the other contenders who match the offer? Paul could be a one-year rental or he could love Boston like Paul Pierce (another LA native who dreamed of playing for the Lakers). At the least George would allow Jaylen Brown another year to grow into the position.

Jimmy Butler? Another possibility but what price would the Bulls want for Butler? And how would that effect Jaylen Brown's development (Brown is basically just a younger Butler). My guess is the price is judged to be too steep for Butler.

How about the unhappy Kristaps Porzingis? Ainge has already shown he's not afraid to deal within the Division. Why not make a Godfather-type offer to the desiccated husk that is Phil Jackson?

Anthony Davis? This is the Holy Grail and Ainge now has to pieces to make a really attractive offer to the Pelicans.

What about Free Agents Gordon Haywood and Blake Griffin? Haywood has been the most mentioned because of his ties to coach Brad Stevens but Utah can offer more money and now that it's clear that the Pacers will be trading Paul George they will need a marquee player replacement and and the Indiana native Haywood fits that bill to a tee.

Blake Griffin has health concerns but he would fit the Celtics needs the best. The team needs rebounding help. A starting five of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Paul George, Al Horford, and Blake Griffin would be tough to beat. And just think on how deep the bench would be with Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Kelly Olynyk, Terry Rozier and the third pick from this draft would be. Griffin loves stand-up comedy so the Celtics should put Bill Burr on the recruiting trail.

Lots and lots of questions. And don't expect any answers until Ainge actually acts because like Bill Belichick - Ainge doesn't give away any hints to what he's actually thinking. The Boston press (and fans) having decades of experience with Ainge and Belichick should know this by now.

But apparently not.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

RIP Bud Collins. To me he was tennis. Wimbledon just wasn't Wimbledon without him. That said I think the McEnroe brothers are ready to take up his mantle as far as TV duties are concerned. However, it will never be the same as tennis will never be as popular again as it was during Collins' heyday...  Heh heh... OK - I'll say it! Both Holly Holm and Miesha Tate have very nice butts. And both could kick my ass... Jeez - maybe Keanu Reeves really is John Wick... Just because I make the observations that all incarnations of Wonder Woman have had large breasts and shaven arm pits doesn't make me a misogynist... Hmmm - the Celtics made a run at the Bulls' Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline? Just as interesting is the fact that this has been leaked. It wasn't by the Celtics so it was either the Bulls or Butler's camp. Interesting... A Pizza Night Light? Yes please!... Just as a fantasy baseball reminder - any time this spring that Peter Gammons writes "Player X is healthy and on a mission" - avoid that player like the plague... Supposedly Douglas MacArthur didn't spend a single night in Korea during the entire duration of the war. Can that really be true?...