Hornets are probably going to sell their pick

[sully00]

We didn't buy the pick to get Rondo we traded a future first and took on Brian Grant's contract, in that situation we were actually paid to take the pick and Grant for CLE future pick.

We are likely to only carry 14 players on the roster this season and we aren't carrying extra first round draft picks. I think there are certain players Ainge may be after Earl Clark comes to mind, Taj Gibson would make sense. We don't need swingmen and we don't need a young PG. Obviously this is Ainge's dept but my guess he would be more interested in second rounders than firsts we are still a team over the tax and looking to possibly get under the cap why in the hell we would want to stockpile guaranteed contracts for players our head coach is likely not to use.

We have Walker and we might add Erden and we are stuck with Giddens. We need money and roster spots to help the team on the floor not build the team of the future.

Draft fever I guess.

[Celts17Pride]

Ainge will buy a 1st round pick in this draft. I suspect somewhere between 18-28 (both Minny picks) the starting salaries range between $1.0 - $1.4 million for the first year of the rookie contract. Ainge is going to improve the bench so I suspect he is going to weed out some players (Giddens, TA, Moore, Pruitt etc.)

[GuyClinch]

Ainge is unlikely to buy a pick for the same reasons teams are selling picks. You get locked into contracts of guys who may not be able to PLAY high quality NBA ball. Why do that when there are legit players who are free agents?

2nd rounders make sense because you can cut them..

[Celts17Pride]

Ainge is unlikely to buy a pick for the same reasons teams are selling picks. You get locked into contracts of guys who may not be able to PLAY high quality NBA ball. Why do that when there are legit players who are free agents?

2nd rounders make sense because you can cut them..

You do it because you have limited resources to get free agents of any substance. The MLE and LLE are really the only things they can use for free agents and that adds up to about $5.5 and $1.5 million respectively. Buying a 1st rounder for someone you like adds another asset to your team. Ainge already knows by now that no one wants TA, Pruitt, Scalabrine, Giddens etc. So he adds talent.

[sully00]

A draft pick that has to be sold is obviously not an asset at all. It means you are trying to be smarter than everyone else. A draft pick Ainge can buy means no one else will trade anything for it, it is equal to JR Giddens until it does something on the court to change that.

You buy a draft pick to acquire a player you think can play, a guy who can help your team win a championship, or to trade immediately, not as a trade asset to develop, there are just no mins to do that here.

[theman]

A draft pick that has to be sold is obviously not an asset at all. It means you are trying to be smarter than everyone else. A draft pick Ainge can buy means no one else will trade anything for it, it is equal to JR Giddens until it does something on the court to change that.

You buy a draft pick to acquire a player you think can play, a guy who can help your team win a championship, or to trade immediately, not as a trade asset to develop, there are just no mins to do that here.

I disagree. A draft pick that plays well in summer league and good in the D-league can have value even if he doesn't see NBA time.

[sully00]

A draft pick that has to be sold is obviously not an asset at all. It means you are trying to be smarter than everyone else. A draft pick Ainge can buy means no one else will trade anything for it, it is equal to JR Giddens until it does something on the court to change that.

You buy a draft pick to acquire a player you think can play, a guy who can help your team win a championship, or to trade immediately, not as a trade asset to develop, there are just no mins to do that here.

I disagree. A draft pick that plays well in summer league and good in the D-league can have value even if he doesn't see NBA time.

Could you point to an instance of a team actually acquiring a player in trade and citing his summer or d league play as the reason they made the trade. The only time someone brings up D league and Summer league play is when they are announcing your minimum contract.

[Celts17Pride]

A draft pick that has to be sold is obviously not an asset at all. It means you are trying to be smarter than everyone else. A draft pick Ainge can buy means no one else will trade anything for it, it is equal to JR Giddens until it does something on the court to change that.

You buy a draft pick to acquire a player you think can play, a guy who can help your team win a championship, or to trade immediately, not as a trade asset to develop, there are just no mins to do that here.

Don't know what you are talking about on this one. A draft pick that might help you this season but could help you for the next 5-10 years is not worth keeping over a deadbeat like Tony Allen who probably isn't going to help you next season and will be gone when his contract expires.

Got to disagree with you on that one. Remember a guy named Rondo which Ainge bought with the 21st pick?

The whole point is not many people thought Rondo was anything and Ainge jumped in and grabbed him. If Ainge sees another player he believes is talented he will buy the draft pick. Ainge's job is to add talent. If the player doesn't play that's Doc Rivers choice.

[sully00]

A draft pick that has to be sold is obviously not an asset at all. It means you are trying to be smarter than everyone else. A draft pick Ainge can buy means no one else will trade anything for it, it is equal to JR Giddens until it does something on the court to change that.

You buy a draft pick to acquire a player you think can play, a guy who can help your team win a championship, or to trade immediately, not as a trade asset to develop, there are just no mins to do that here.

Don't know what you are talking about on this one. A draft pick that might help you this season but could help you for the next 5-10 years is not worth keeping over a deadbeat like Tony Allen who probably isn't going to help you next season and will be gone when his contract expires.

Got to disagree with you on that one. Remember a guy named Rondo which Ainge bought with the 21st pick?

You can't be serious. I just explained how we got the Rondo pick, something we can't do again, we traded a future first and took on an expiring contract. Beyond that the player you draft in the late first round that helps you for 5 years is Tony Allen. He started as a rookie and has been a top 8 rotation player for 5 years. But I don't know what I am talking about, how many rookies last season avg 8 ppg on a playoff team?

But you missed my point, what I am saying is when you jump in on essentially and unwanted pick, one that a team is simply willing to give up for cash considerations, it means they could not trade it for any value. So it has little trade value and therefore the player taken with the pick has little value. If you do it you have to be doing it because you believe the player is going to contribute to your team, because this team does not have mins or a coach with the inclination to develop young players to increase their trade value.

[Celts17Pride]

A draft pick that has to be sold is obviously not an asset at all. It means you are trying to be smarter than everyone else. A draft pick Ainge can buy means no one else will trade anything for it, it is equal to JR Giddens until it does something on the court to change that.

You buy a draft pick to acquire a player you think can play, a guy who can help your team win a championship, or to trade immediately, not as a trade asset to develop, there are just no mins to do that here.

Don't know what you are talking about on this one. A draft pick that might help you this season but could help you for the next 5-10 years is not worth keeping over a deadbeat like Tony Allen who probably isn't going to help you next season and will be gone when his contract expires.

Got to disagree with you on that one. Remember a guy named Rondo which Ainge bought with the 21st pick?

You can't be serious. I just explained how we got the Rondo pick, something we can't do again, we traded a future first and took on an expiring contract. Beyond that the player you draft in the late first round that helps you for 5 years is Tony Allen. He started as a rookie and has been a top 8 rotation player for 5 years. But I don't know what I am talking about, how many rookies last season avg 8 ppg on a playoff team?

But you missed my point, what I am saying is when you jump in on essentially and unwanted pick, one that a team is simply willing to give up for cash considerations, it means they could not trade it for any value. So it has little trade value and therefore the player taken with the pick has little value. If you do it you have to be doing it because you believe the player is going to contribute to your team, because this team does not have mins or a coach with the inclination to develop young players to increase their trade value.

sully00 what are you talking about?

1. It doesn't matter how the Celtics got Rondo the point is it was the 21st pick and no one other than Ainge saw his value.

2. The reason teams are selling 1st round picks is because of their salary cap position and the economy (for example the Hornets) it's not because they see no value in the players. Yes the Celtics are trying to win now but they do have an eye towards the future. You can't have every player on your roster with a 2-3 year window. You have to have some players that are capable of playing another 10-12 years. If the Celtics are willing to pay more salary then you do it.

3. You wouldn't want someone like Courtney Lee drafted 22nd last year? Seems to be doing alright for the Eastern Conf. Champs Orlando Magic.

[cfan79]

3. You wouldn't want someone like Courtney Lee drafted 22nd last year? Seems to be doing alright for the Eastern Conf. Champs Orlando Magic.

Good point C-17-P, it seems more and more good players are being pick after the 20th pick.

08 - Ryan Anderson, Courtney Lee, Mario Chalmers
07 - Daequan Cook, Glen Davis, Marc Gasol
06 - Rajon Rondo, Daniel Gibson, Leon Powe
05 - Nate Robinson, David Lee, Monta Ellis, Ryan Gomes
04 - Delonte West, Kevin Martin, Anderson Varejão Chris Duhon Trevor Ariza
03 - Boris Diaw Travis Outlaw Kendrick Perkins Leandrinho Barbosa Josh Howard, Zaur Pachulia, Mo Williams
02 - Tayshaun Prince John Salmons Carlos Boozer Luis Scola
01 - Gerald Wallace Samuel Dalembert Tony Parker Gilbert Arenas Mehmet Okur
00 - Michael Redd
99 - Andrei Kirilenko Manu Ginobili
98 - Al Harrington Rashard Lewis Rafer Alston
97 - Stephen Jackson
96 - Derek Fisher
95 - Michael Finley, Greg Ostertag
94 - Wesley Person
93 - Sam Cassell Nick Van Exel Bryon Russell
92 - Latrell Sprewell P.J. Brown
91 - Rick Fox
90 - Elden Campbell Tony Kukoc Antonio Davis