Ditch Isaiah and draft Lonzo Ball... thanks for the advice, Colin Cowherd
Maybe you agree, maybe you don't, but some people, like Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports Radio has decided the Celtics are better off without Isaiah Thomas, as long as they draft Lonzo Ball this June.
On his radio show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the outspoken host argued against picking the presumed option of Markelle Fultz who played one year with the Washington Huskies. Cowherd believes Fultz wasn't able to make his teammates better in college, and he won't make them better in the pros.
Now, I'm skeptical about the soon-to-be 19-year-old's ability to lead a team. I broke down my hesitations in the most recent CelticsLife podcast, which is mostly that the star didn't even reach double digit wins with his team.
But, the kid has unreal potential, and could be an elite NBA player. Any draft prospect can have a question mark, just look at Greg Oden or Darco Milicic. The decision will come down to scouting and what Danny Ainge decides to do.
Lonzo Ball may also be a great option for the number one pick, and whichever route the Celtics decide to go they still have at least one year of Isaiah Thomas under contract.
That's too long for Cowherd, and some other fans, especially after the C's took down the Cavaliers in game three, the first game without IT this postseason. Instead, the radio host claims Boston needs Ball running the show, and Ainge needs to get Gordon Hayward or Jimmy Butler.
His belief is the Celtics were moving the ball better without Isaiah, and he isn't worth $200 million when he's due for a huge pay raise next summer. But hardly any rookies come into the league and supply a number one scoring option in their first year. Trading IT4 will take away the Celtics sole go-to scorer.
Cowherd thinks these moves will take the C's to the next level? Maybe in a few years, but the Celtics want to compete now. If Boston is able to swing a move for Butler, or coax Hayward away from a five-year-deal and an adoring fan base in Utah, there's almost no ramifications to keeping Isaiah on the team. Let this be a discussing when it's time to extend or negotiate his contract.
What do you think?
Should the Celtics:— Topher Lane (@Topher_L) May 25, 2017
Follow Topher Lane on Twitter, @Topher_L. Photo credit: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports