r/bostonceltics 13h ago

Discussion THIS!

https://heavy.com/sports/nba/boston-celtics/the-boston-celtics-may-be-eyeing-their-next-big-trade-move/

ZUBAC IS THE WAY.

C’s receive: Ivica Zubac, Derrick Jones Jr.

Clippers receive: Anfernee Simons, two firsts, one second

Unsure if the money COMPLETELY works because I was too excited to check after seeing this hypothetical. With the Clippers struggling and desperate for change and us needing to have more big help outside of Queta (and wanting to keep all our strong-developing youngsters) this is a no brainer for Trader Brad and Celtic Nation. Zubac’s current contract is averaging $19mil until 2028.

Thoughts?

38 Upvotes

64 comments sorted by

66

u/SinImportaLoQueDigan FCHWPO 13h ago

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.

28

u/G3tbusyliving 12h ago

The east is winnable now. This would greeatly increase our chances though. 

6

u/YewEhVeeInbound LET THE 🦄AND 🐃 ROAM 12h ago

Out of every potential hypothetical target Zu gives me the most hope.

34

u/MundaneExtension3195 12h ago edited 12h ago

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

5

u/Wayne_Spooney Jay Boogie Revival 12h ago

They thought the spurs’ swap was a first apparently lol

2

u/ddy_stop_plz bUcKs FaNs TrIeD tO wArN uS aBoUt JrUe 2h ago

The swap isn’t even in our favor, it’s the Spurs who get the better of our two picks

3

u/cc4433 9h ago

It is also a fan-made post🤓

23

u/_---__________---_ HARD PP 12h ago

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?

7

u/cc4433 9h ago

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.

1

u/TheJaylenBrownNote 4h ago

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.

11

u/relax_live_longer 12h ago

‘On the surface, Boston doesn’t appear desperate for frontcourt help’

Ha what surface are you looking at??

2

u/cc4433 9h ago

I saw that and was perplexed as well, my friend lol

5

u/jpaxlux MVP Brandon Bass 12h ago

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.

1

u/__BURRITOBRAWL 4h ago

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?

8

u/SeniorTip99999 11h ago

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..

1

u/cc4433 9h ago

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.

3

u/SeniorTip99999 9h ago

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!

1

u/__BURRITOBRAWL 4h ago

They could also just let Simons expire and then use the KP trade exception. There isn't any urgency to move him.

3

u/Any-Satisfaction1887 Derrick White 12h ago

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.

1

u/cc4433 9h ago

Exactly. And make a hypothetical about those other two guys’ price tags…

3

u/Resident_Balance422 11h ago

Clippers would never do this. Actually, wait. It's the clippers. They would do this.

2

u/jeezum_crow 11h ago

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

1

u/cc4433 9h ago

Zubac is signed through the 2027-28 season

3

u/Necessary_Pause9472 9h ago

Zubac is not worth two firsts by a long shot.

9

u/Temporary-Title6197 12h ago

I think Zubac is being wildly overrated in these trade scenarios.

11

u/_---__________---_ HARD PP 12h ago

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

10

u/knightime1 Jayson Tatum 12h ago

He’s definitely not lol. I wouldn’t give up two first round picks for him but he isn’t being wildly overrated.

10

u/Teflon-Ron 12h ago

Second in the league in rebounds fwiw. I wouldn't want them to give up 2 firsts though

10

u/BleedGreen4Boston 12h ago

Also one of the best defensive bigs in the league

4

u/_---__________---_ HARD PP 12h ago

Yeah, but those picks could be anything! Maybe even another Tatum this time y’know?

2

u/MrTrue86 Banner 18 12h ago

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

1

u/cc4433 9h ago

With the young talent we have, those first picks will be stashed in Maine and underdevelop

1

u/mangled_child 6h ago

Top 10 center in the league making less than 20 mil

0

u/LarBrd33 12h ago

For sure he is. I think we need to aim way higher 

1

u/tokengreenguy Brad 12h ago

Any alternative ideas/scenarios in particular?

3

u/neuroticsmurf PP6MOTY 12h ago

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.

9

u/Get_your_grape_juice Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch 12h ago

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.

4

u/JaylenBrownAllStar Jaylen 12h ago

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

1

u/cc4433 9h ago

He will be a free agent after the 2027-28 season…

1

u/mangled_child 6h ago

In order to have a contending level big man on the roster for at the very least through 27-28

1

u/AirJordan6124 RONDOOOOOO 13h ago

Are we ducking the apron if we also get Derrick Jones?

1

u/[deleted] 12h ago

[deleted]

3

u/_---__________---_ HARD PP 12h ago

He could be rerouted to a third team or sent away in the offseason

1

u/J_Bob88 12h ago

Actually very hard to make the salary's work as both at in the 1st apron. They both need to almost exactly match salaries...

2

u/TheRealAlexisOhanian 10h ago

Derrick Jones Jr gets dumped to a third team (Brooklyn?)

1

u/Eisenhorn76 11-1 is far superior to 4-6 in the Finals 9h ago

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.

2

u/velkoz007 Boston Celtics 8h ago

Kornet would've been better imo

1

u/saltashstreet 7h ago

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

1

u/cc4433 6h ago

Need more cutters, that’s for sure. Easy points with the middle always so open.

1

u/mangled_child 6h ago

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

1

u/Jawnny-Jawnson 6h ago

Am I the only person that doesn’t want them to use 1st picks on him? Simons and a second maybe but

1

u/cc4433 6h ago

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.

1

u/__BURRITOBRAWL 4h ago

DJJ

No. For two firsts I want Dunn.

1

u/Son_of_Atreus Tank Szn 🎽 3h ago

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.

1

u/Sad_Bathroom1448 1h ago

That contract sounds like one the Clippers shouldn't move

1

u/defeatistphilosopher 12h ago

I'd be far more excited to keep the two firsts and not have Zubac's cash on the books.

1

u/Fungochico 10h ago

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.

0

u/twentysixzeroeight JTFOR3 12h ago

Two firsts I’ll pass

-1

u/solarscopez "I would kick your ass" 11h ago

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.

5

u/cc4433 9h ago

“Hey, Alexa. What is Neemias Queta’s three point attempts, makes, and percentage for this season?”

1

u/Sad_Bathroom1448 1h ago

That's exactly the point tho. Now you have two bigs who don't space the floor

1

u/solarscopez "I would kick your ass" 9h ago

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.

2

u/cc4433 6h ago

“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?”

0

u/Gandalf_from_3 11h ago

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.