Brandan Wright on the block
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Why would we choose between Wright or Thompson, if we could have both? Use the exception on Wright, start Wright, bring Thompson off the bench, throw Evans, Williams and Hollins over the side.
The only reservation I would have is that Wright will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. I would not throw any assets at Wright, including the exception, unless you could get him to commit to re-sign.
The only reservation I would have is that Wright will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. I would not throw any assets at Wright, including the exception, unless you could get him to commit to re-sign.
If you can acquire Wright for chump change, then do it. My dream scenario is for JT to be our backup center, and also fill in at the PF position off the bench. Wright isn't a bad man defender as long as he's not guarding a center. He's fine against the PF's of the league, and he has the quickness to guard the P&R and still get back to defend his man at the rim. Not saying that Wright is the end all, be all, but it would give us some actual depth up front, and plant Hollins butt firmly on the bench where it belongs.
You bring in Wright as a compliment to JT, not as a replacement for him. Wright is athletic enough to cover the stretch fours of the NBA while also serving as an adequate rim protector. JT has the size and strength, making him a very good post defender and also an adequate rim protector. With Cousins on the team as the main rim protector, a platoon of Wright and JT is as ideal as you can get without getting Serge Ibaka somehow.
Getting Wright means you have to dump Landry somehow, though.
Getting Wright means you have to dump Landry somehow, though.
It looks like Wright's salary would put us very close to the tax, but not over it. Still, Sham is out of date and HoopsHype's salary pages aren't always 100% accurate, so it's possible that Wright would nudge us over the tax line. Wright for Hollins would seem like a no-brainer from our side, but the Celtics are probably trying to get some value out of him.
But that's kind of what I see the exception as useful for - taking a salary flyer on a guy. They only last for a year, and it's not like we're terribly likely to find a better deal for nothing. I don't remember the last exception deal that turned into a steal. I suppose there must have been one, but nothing sticks out in memory. Since the trade exception is use-it-or-lose-it, I would say in this case to use it unless there's an obviously better deal soon to be available. Of course, that depends on the Celtics actually dumping Wright for nothing and our team being able to handle the salary cap implications of absorbing him.
I've wanted Wright since the off-season. I think he fits nicely with both Cousins and JT as he ads some rim protection while still offering some offensive skill as well. Not sure what we have to offer Boston though. Tough to trade for solid players on expiring contracts too as you can't give up much to get them.
So what about this...we trade a second-round pick and absorb Wright into the trade exception. This creates a trade exception for the Celtics. We then trade Hollins to the Celtics (whom they absorb into their new trade exception) in exchange for the second-round pick we just sent them. This works, right?
Dumping one of the Kings non-enders for an expiring would be a dream scenario. I don't see it happening however. If the Kings were able to dump either JT or Landry that would give this team some space this summer. Without it they have barely over the MLE if they don't have to account for a draft pick. If they do it's slim pickings for the Kings this summer.
