Longer Contracts Key to Jimmy Butler or Paul George Trade

Paul George and Jimmy Butler are the two biggest targets for the Boston Celtics, and their contracts are a big reason why

While it continues to be a long shot that the Boston Celtics will be acquiring either Jimmy Butler or Paul George, there is one thing that makes them more intriguing than the normal superstar on the trade block. Geroge and Butler are two of the elite players in the NBA, but there are others out there at their caliber. Conventionally, these kinds of players only really get on the trade market on expiring contracts. Teams will fear losing their franchise player for nothing, and will then feel like getting a guaranteed return would be the best route.

This is the exact kind of situation that the Celtics have been avoiding. Because of their unique rebuilding, the Celtics are years away form being in a position where their window will be closing. Teams make those kinds of trades, less because they believe they have a chance to win that season, and more because they are worried they will never be in as good of a position to win again.

For the Celtics, that is absolutely not the case. In fact, they can say with almost certainty that they will be better next year, and for many years after that, depending on how many young players pan out. The number one goal of Danny Ainge will be to give the Celtics the best opportunity to win with the pieces that he currently has, and making a trade mid season usually makes that more difficult.

George and Butler are different because they are not only a short term option. Butler has one more year on his contract, which adds an appeal, but both of them would be guaranteed to play multiple seasons for the Celtics.

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If Ainge believes he can get a better deal in the future, which is very likely in the off season, then he will not jump on a trade simply because they are within striking distance of the Cavaliers for the first time in the Brad Stevens era.

There still has been no clear indication that either George or Butler have been shopped, but everyone knows that the Celtics have the assets to make an offer that no one could pass up. They are the two players that have continually been linked to the Celtics, suggesting there is a certain degree of interest.

Everyone knows how stingy Ainge is, and taking into account their contracts, its hard to imagine Ainge getting his usual value on either of these players. With their contracts, these are players that are easy to build around, and they do not have to worry about them leaving in free agency for a bit either. They will also give a lot more cap flexibility than any newly signed player of their caliber. The salary cap took a massive jump last season, and having these players under $20 million a season is some of the best value in the NBA.

Ainge has his work cut out for him in these last hours of the trade deadline. There are other minor options such as Andrew Bogut or P.J Tucker, but Butler and George are the players that everyone is looking for. No matter what the Celtics put in a trade for them, they will have the big three with Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford, and that will be the biggest challenge James has had since he last lost to Paul Pierce.

Next: Celtics Should Wait Until Summer to Trade

There was disappointment in not getting DeMarcus Cousins, but they never expressed any interest in him. With George and Butler it has been different. These are clearly players they want on their team, and they certainly have the assets to make anything happen.

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