NBA trade deadline: Think twice before dealing with Ainge, Celtics
Danny Ainge is very good at his job, which means other GMs should worry if his name pops up trying to land their star.
By
Matt Moore
•
3 min read
The Boston Celtics "need" to make a trade but they don't "have" to make a trade. These two ideas are contradictory but still exist simultaneously. This is what makes dealing with analyzing the Celtics headed into Thursday's NBA trade deadline a nightmare.
For starters, no team is involved in more leaks. Reported deals are constantly floated and present, to the point where you can't really believe everything because there's so much flotsam in the water. A big-time Celtics trade at this point is like trying to root out the truth in a sea of conspiracy theories. "The Celtics' preferred trade target is hanging out with Elvis in Las Vegas!"
Consider that in the last two weeks they've been linked to trade rumors involving Hawks center Al Horford, Rockets center Dwight Howard, and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love. Then consider that just as there was a balance of reports suggesting those deals could happen, there was also this on Sunday from the Boston Herald:
The Celtics have indeed had occasional talks with Cleveland about Love, haven't discussed the subject of Dwight Howard in Houston, and remain very interested in finding a deal for the right price. But the price has been key. All of the items on the market are currently prohibitive.
Atlanta center Al Horford, another big name that has been attached to the Celtics, falls into that group -- with a price tag that is prohibitive for a player who is about to become a free agent. Denver's Danilo Gallinari, who has intrigued Celtics president Danny Ainge, was a dead issue well before those talks were reported.
Asked whether the team is increasingly reluctant to part with its collection of Brooklyn first round picks -- 2016, the right to swap in 2017, and finally 2018 -- the source said, "Not likely, sure."
Indeed, the Celtics' recent success considered, they do not feel an urgency to get something done by Thursday, though David Lee and his $15.5 million contract have to be burning a hole in Danny Ainge's pocket.
The source said that the Celtics, "do not feel that they have to do anything. Sure they'd like to do something. Every team wants to, but first you have to find something that works with a trade partner."It's crazy, though -- even the (rumors) that have touched on something that was discussed don't come close to any of the specifics."
Source: Celtics bide time in trade market; Isaiah does some recruiting | Boston Herald.
That "price tag" component is big here. GM Danny Ainge does not overpay; it's just not what he does. However, the only thing that the Celtics are in search of is a star player, and in the NBA, you have to overpay. The Rockets managed to get James Harden for a song because of Harden's contract situation, and even then Houston gave up a promising young player, a pick, and a veteran, which was a pretty decent haul considering how badly OKC's leverage was compromised.
The Celtics, however, seem to be playing the "Look, if you want to get rid of a star, that's fine, but we'll only give you this extra stuff we have lying around." David Lee's expiring $15 million contract is not a valuable trade chip. The picks that are not the Nets' unprotected picks are not great trade chips, especially in a weak draft.
They are broadcasting that they "do not feel that they have to do anything," but here's the reality: teams without star players are incredibly susceptible to defeat in the playoffs. Sound defense without a rim protector and no closer, as good as Isaiah Thomas is, will not get them out of the first round in a lot of instances. The Celtics are vulnerable, and as young and talented as this core is, teams like this tend not to stay together long. It's why Pat Riley swung for the fences in 2005 with the Shaquille O'Neal trade. (Also, Riley has no patience, but that's another matter.)
Boston may wind up doing nothing, but they're going to be involved in conversations with everyone. I would be very wary of picking up the phone if I were a GM looking to deal a star if Ainge's caller ID popped up, however. He's won too many deals for anyone to feel good about their chances of walking away with a good haul.
