Macri’s Missives: Trading for Timelord and Celtics perspectives

Macri’s Missives is a weekly column published on The Strickland where Jonathan Macri has a candid email exchange with a guest. Think of it like a written podcast. This week, Macri is joined by his co-host on TalkBasket’s Pick and Pod podcast and Celtics Blog writer Adam Taylor to talk about all things Knicks (as it relates to the Celtics).

On Tue, 27 Oct 2020 at 14:31, Jonathan Macri wrote:

What's up, Adam?!

First and foremost, thank you for reaching out to me earlier this year with a crazy idea to do a weekly general NBA podcast. I'd have never had the gumption to do one myself, but thanks to you, I spent the summer talking to a ton of the very best NBA media people out there, not to mention George Karl. Excited to see what's in store for us with our move to TalkBasket as the season approaches.

Speaking of which... you cover the Celtics for CelticsBlog.com, and based on what's being reported, our two teams are about to see a whoooooole lot of each other. With divisional games likely dominating the '20-21 slate, I figure it's a good time to bounce around the Atlantic for the next few Missives, and what better place to begin than Beantown.

Given the expedited nature of the upcoming season, my assumption is that the Celtics are going to win the Atlantic and finish with a top two record in the East. I think the Raptors lose one of Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol, or Serge Ibaka, the Nets liberally rest their stars, and Philly takes a while to figure out their shit under Doc Rivers. Boston, meanwhile, is young, hungry, and I'm betting on Jayson Tatum making a leap into First Team All-NBA status.

I think there's a few places we can bring the Knicks into this conversation, but here's where I want to start: do you want the Knicks to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this year, knowing that it could help them land a better prospect in next year's draft, or would you rather Leon Rose traded for Chris Paul and/or signed VanVleet in addition to other aggressive moves/additions that might make Boston/New York games more than a cakewalk for you guys? I guess I'm asking how much seeding or home court matters to you this year in advance of Hayward potentially walking next summer and/or Giannis going to Miami to form yet another iteration of a Heat super team?

On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 10:53 AM Adam Taylor wrote:

Jon, my man!

First off, I'm loving doing a general NBA podcast with you! We've had some great guests, and now we're moving onto TalkBasket. I'm excited about what the future will bring!

This is a great question! Generally, I'm always in favor of rebuilding through the draft with exciting young talent and implementing a team culture. But this is the Knicks we're talking about! A team with a rabid fanbase and recent history of falling short. I think from a longevity standpoint, building through the draft and free agency is the wisest move — BUT! — the NBA is better for having a Knicks/Celtics rivalry. So, I guess that would lead me towards Leon Rose making some win-now moves and swinging for the fences with Chris Paul or VanVleet.

However, I don't believe Boston's standings in the regular season will impact any potential loss of Gordon Hayward — the Celtics fans are making those decisions for him.

On Tue, 27 Oct 2020 at 16:41, Jonathan Macri wrote:

Yeah, I've seen a lot of Celtics fans packing Gordon's bags for him, which confuses me. Similarly, I've seen notions from Knick fans about taking on Hayward as some sort of a salary dump, which makes even less sense, as it wouldn't result in the Celtics getting all that much more cap space. To me, I think even if they trade Hayward in a somewhat forward-thinking move that lowers their ceiling in the short term, they'll still be damn good.

Back to the Knicks: It warms my blue and orange heart that you want to see the old Boston/New York rivalry rekindled, but I have a feeling most Celtics fans would much rather we stay exactly where we are: in the muck. Is there any part of you that thinks a "win now" offseason by Leon Rose (to the extent one is even possible, which I'm not sure it is) is the right move from the perspective of "I want the Celtics to continue to be in the best position possible, and the fewer serious rivals I have for this division/conference, the better?"

On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 12:55 PM Adam Taylor wrote:

The desire to move on from Hayward, with literally no way of taking back a similar level of talent, is astounding to me.

I mean, covering the Celtics and being a fan of them for 20-something years means that I want to see them succeed. So the road with least resistance is always the most desirable. Conversely, I think it's disingenuous to the nature of competition to not want those historical rivalries restored; it makes for more discussion points and a better viewing experience.

I'm torn here. But I think I have to stick with my principles and say I would rather face a competitive Knicks team than a bottom-feeding one.

On Wed, 28 Oct 2020 at 14:08, Jonathan Macri wrote:

Well you're a gentleman and a scholar for sticking to them, good sir.

That said, while I think it would behoove the Knicks to be respectable this season, I want them to prioritize increasing their future asset base even more, which leads me to Boston's draft picks. I feel like No. 8 for Nos. 14 and 26 has been the most popular fake Knicks draft trade on the board for a while now. No. 8 for 14 and Langford is another one I've seen.

I'm curious what you think about either of those, and who would need to be there for the Celtics to consider such a swap, but I also want to toss one more idea at you: is there any scenario by which you'd consider trading away Boston's 2021 first? I don't think Ainge would do No. 8 for 14 and the '21 pick unless the protections (I'm guessing top-20) had it converting to two 2nds after next year's draft, but I wanted to get your thoughts on that as well.

On Thu, Oct 29, 2020 at 10:38 AM Adam Taylor wrote:

I think taking No. 8 for 14 and 26 is a good call for the Celtics: they are pressed for roster space and already have a very young bench.

Romeo plus 14 is too steep for my liking. Romeo has enormous two-way potential and is solid long-term insurance on Hayward. Ainge is also high on Romeo, so I doubt that trade happens.

There has been speculation that Ainge may look to trade out of this draft for future picks, but I highly doubt he would look to move the '21 pick unless it was part of a deal to obtain a "missing piece" that cements a true period of contention. NYK does have someone who fits the "missing piece" narrative in Mitch Robinson, but it's almost unthinkable to believe that idea would ever have any legs.

On Thu, 29 Oct 2020 at 15:52, Jonathan Macri wrote:

Well, we have a bit of space left to fill in this column, so for shits and giggles: how much would you value Mitch over Timelord (Robert WIlliams, who was the 27th pick in Robinson's draft)?

I've had a few Mitch trade discussions over the last several months that have left me outside the good graces of some fans, and for good reason. Mitchell Robinson is a freaking stud, and I think the simplest path to respectability for this team is for Thibs to figure out how to build a defense around his unique talents. I have no desire to trade him, nor do I think the Knicks intend to.

All that being said, everyone has a price. I think I'd turn down Williams, the 14th pick, and Boston's 2021 first for Mitch, but I'm 97% sure that's the Robinson fanboy in me making that decision, and that on balance, that's a deal the Knicks should make 10 times out of 10. What say you?

On Fri, Oct 30, 2020 at 5:12 AM Adam Taylor wrote:

Yeah, I'm high on Mitch also, so my response here may also tiptoe into fanboy territory.

Firstly, and I think I have said this to you before — I think that Robinson and Timelord are quite similar in terms of upside, with the main difference being opportunity and health. Timelord projects as a better facilitator in PnR offense and in transition, but he doesn't have Mitch's physical presence to dominate his way into low post opportunities. Then there's defense, where Mitch just oozes class, while Timelord is a human pogo stick, biting on every pump fake.

Honestly? I would probably turn that deal down too. Timelord's injury history and inability to consistently stay on the floor make him a questionable trade chip at this early juncture in his career, while Boston's own '21 pick doesn't project to fall anywhere near the lottery. However, adding Grant Williams to the deal instead (ignore salary matching, etc.) would make that a very interesting proposal, and I would be shocked if it didn't get accepted.

On Fri, Oct 30, 2020 at 3:16 AM Jonathan Macri wrote:

OOoooo boy... you got my attention with Grant Williams. I like that kid. But yeah, I think we'll hang on to Mitch for the time being. Whatever the team does this offseason, if and when there's a time that Boston actually has to worry about getting a W vs. the Knicks, I'm guessing Robinson is a big part of that.

Until then, I wish you the best of luck (which of course means I hope Boston drastically overpays for Rudy Gobert and Kemba Walker continues to age like a split avocado!).