Rajon Rondo Traded To The Mavericks.

[BannersOnly]

I keep saying and will continue to say that those 3 Brooklyn picks will make or break the Ainge era. Ainge had better hope at least one of those translates into a Top 5 pick and at least 2 of the 3 years end up with us getting lottery picks or else this guy's overall resume as Celtics GM has been mediocre at best. Think about it, if we are sitting here in 2018 and are cashing in the last of our 3 Brooklyn picks and NONE of them ended up being higher than 10 then he will have been the GM for this franchise for 17 years with 1 title to show for it. Ainge better start saying the rosary nightly because his refusal to go ALL IN on tanking have basically left us with hoping those Brooklyn picks are high lottery picks to make this rebuild a success. Because we are not getting top STAR free agents here and we are not getting Top 5 picks on our own because of our own stupidity. Dumb.

[darrendaye]

Brandon Wright isn't really a rim protector. Good player, crazy efficient around the rim (would have looked great with Rondo) but not a rim protector.

Weakside shot blocker might be the better term to use, I suppose. He's not always aware and he is slight of build to root, I suppose this is where you are making the distinction? Similar to what you would be with getting with John Henson type in that regard.

[sully00]

I understand trading Rondo, I understand the contract situation was never going to be agreed on and he was going to leave in free agency. But with 2 months left until the trade deadline why did we trade him so early? What's the benefit of trading him for first package that came along?

I do not think it was the first package that came along. Rondo most likely gave Ainge a handful of teams to work with and Ainge got offers from those teams. The selling price may have gone up slightly if Rondo played better but I think Ainge probably saw more value in having some additional flexibility at the deadline.

Ainge's problem was that the teams that where in on Rondo just don't have the draft picks.

HOU has a pick from NO that has a complicated protection structure like the one BOS got from DAL and they already traded away their 15 to LAL with protection. HOU would have had to deal that NO pick and probably wasn't willing to or a '17.

LAL only has the Rockets pick that will likely be this year and at the end of the round. No other options until '19

Brooklyn already traded us all of their picks

The Knicks can't move a pick until '18.

Sacramento doesn't have a pick until '17

Those 5 and Dallas are the bidders. IND and DET were probably interested but weren't willing to give up an unprotected first the way their seasons are going. I think other teams would have had problems putting together the salary and attaching it to a player like Wright.

It sounds like DAL's deal was the best Ainge had gotten offered since Rondo was on the market. Why wait to find out that one is gone? Deron Willaims is on the market who knows?

[darrendaye]

I'll add, touching on the drat pick value Sully brings up, I like the creativity of Ainge adding the high end protection as a criteria. It might not pay dividends, but gives you a chance at a better return in 2016 if Dallas has issues next year.

[Ed Pinkney]

What probably sold Dallas was the distinct possibility that Rondo was mailing it in. I mean think my tiny g/f who doesn't even play hoops anymore could hit 33% of her FTs. Was Rondo even trying? OTOH damn what if he was trying..!

I still think Dallas will come out ahead but its not as clear cut as people think. Perkins lost so much after his injury - maybe Rondo is in the same boat.

It is in interesting situation to think about. If he was wasn't trying then it does invoke some "good riddance" vibes as that is just a big FU to the coach, his team mates, the fans, the owners etc. If he was trying then that is a little sad as it means he might never have gotten back near his peak form. Either way I guess It was probably the right call by Ainge.

[sully00]

Not sure I agree that good teams get stars. KG joined our sorry squad because we had Pierce and we added Ray. LBJ and Bosh joined Wade. Howard went to Harden. LBJ went to Irving and Love. Melo went to Amare.

The common denominator is big names. There are exceptions for the scrappy starless teams. Houston managed to get in on Harden at just the right time - pre-RFA from a small-market team with 3 young guys already on the books for big extensions. Orlando got a great FA haul after Doc's COY campaign.

Without a tank, we're looking at adding mid- to low-level talent in waves, which is kind of what we've been doing for the last three years. Terry/Lee/Green/Bass/Sully/Fab, then Crawford/Brooks/Wallace/Hump/KO, then Smart/Young/Turner/Thornton/Zeller. The problem with this approach is it creates logjams of similarly talented mid-level players, logjams which make it hard for individuals to standout and don't really facilitate swaps for stars (apparently no one was interested in trading a star for any of the guys we've collected through this process).

We need to find someone we can build around.

KG came to Boston because Paul and Ray were here but mostly because he needed to leave where he was. The Heat won 47 games the year before Lebron went there. Sure playing with Wade and Bosh was part of it but in hindsight he is acting as if that is a mistake. CLE didn't really have anything when he went back except young talent Love came after.

Anthony and Amare is exactly what Ainge should be avoiding they were losers before they got them and still are losers now. There is no environment or culture they are just guys with huge pay checks and stat lines.

HOU, GS, PORT, MEM, IND that is what Ainge has to be looking at. These are his own words prior to the trade:

“My job is to look at all the different ways and path ways to be a championship team,” said Ainge. “This is the time of year where there’s a lot of talking and calling going on. Part of my job is to explore our way to the next championship.
“Everybody wants a star first, but in lieu of getting a star — because there are very few of those for the 30 teams — the next option is draft picks, which you hope to find the next star in the draft. You need swings of the bat, so that would be next,” explained Ainge. “The next thing would be good, solid players – guys who could play a role on the team.
“I think Celtics fans want to see good team basketball and winning basketball,” said Ainge. “We need to start moving in that direction. I don’t know if stars are required. It’s assumed in the NBA that stars are needed, and that’s true, but there have been some successful teams without a star. But I have every intention of finding stars; great players who have a positive effect on winning.
“Not stars who people want to watch, but stars who help with winning basketball,” he said.

Thanks for the full quote - hadn't seen that before.

But here's the thing: Danny's had plenty of swings at the bat in the middle of the draft and we're ending up with a lot of the same kind of player - guards who can't shoot, bigs who can't defend and wings who can't dribble or pass. And we're running out of room.

We need to get access to the VIP room. Free agency and trades don't look good right now. And drafting in the 10-30 range when you are looking for stars is not a good look.

Two things that people should at least consider. This isn't a one year stock pile of picks. Ainge has multiple picks over multiple years. So while everyone is kind of down about the Love situation played out because CLE had trump with two number 1 picks but Ainge has a special arsenal at his disposal.

So he can use the picks year on year and bring in waves of talent. So you can grab that guy in Europe and stash him or take a risk on a young but unproven player because it isn't your only pick for that year. The other piece is that while other teams are scrambling to free up one pick to trade Ainge can offer 2 in the same draft or back to back or 3 in a row. He can flip a pick for one down the road.

This situation is so much different than just waiting on your pick. Boston doesn't have to suck to have a shot at the top pick they have the Nets for that and they are cooperating. The real problem is when you flush a season down the drain to earn a pick which screws up the development and culture of your team to only end up with a guy who comes up lame or busts.

This getting hung up on being unable to draft stars outside of the top 5 or 10 picks is crazy. It isn't quite 50/50 but it is close. The guy you just traded away was a 20 that was acquired at the draft.

The ability to trade up is always there even more so when you have a ton of picks.

[sully00]

they gave rondo 21 games to be a leader of the team. he deserved better than that. wish ainge could've been traded instead, stevens can go too.

Danny AInge would probably tell you that they handed this team over to Rondo in '12-'13 and they have gone 32-58 with him and 41-53 without.

you can't possibly count last season though. this year the schedule started off tough. 9-14 to start the season wasn't too bad, and it'd only get a lot better. it's about to get a lot worse.

I am counting the whole thing. Since KG announce that this Rondo's team now to yesterday that is Boston's record with him and without. They were 3 games under before he went down and played to 3 games over without him in '12-'13. Last year he comes back and they would win the games he sat out on the back ends of back to backs.

Wil this team be worse without him that remains to be seen. From what is coming out from Ainge prior to the trade and now after is that Rondo wasn't going to change and we have heard this before. HIs shot is more broke than ever he dominates the ball in a motion offense and he will not stay in front of his man. Now Stevens can put Smart and Bradley out their defensively to cause havoc and while you will lose Rondo's playmaking you free the ball up to let KO and Sully touch it and move the rock around the way the offense is supposed to run.

I don't disagree that this team should have been better with Rondo on it, it just wasn't.

[CeltsfanSinceBirth]

I keep saying and will continue to say that those 3 Brooklyn picks will make or break the Ainge era. Ainge had better hope at least one of those translates into a Top 5 pick and at least 2 of the 3 years end up with us getting lottery picks or else this guy's overall resume as Celtics GM has been mediocre at best. Think about it, if we are sitting here in 2018 and are cashing in the last of our 3 Brooklyn picks and NONE of them ended up being higher than 10 then he will have been the GM for this franchise for 17 years with 1 title to show for it. Ainge better start saying the rosary nightly because his refusal to go ALL IN on tanking have basically left us with hoping those Brooklyn picks are high lottery picks to make this rebuild a success. Because we are not getting top STAR free agents here and we are not getting Top 5 picks on our own because of our own stupidity. Dumb.

What a bunch of **** nonsense. Didn't go ALL IN on tanking? Ainge tried. Right from the moment Rondo went down with the ACL injury in 2012.

- tried trading KG at the deadline to the Clips for DJ and Bledsoe, but the Clips refused.
- was offered Humphries, Brooks, and a pick by the Nets for Pierce, but that was much too low for Pierce, so Ainge turned it down
- Ainge tries to flip Doc and KG to the Clips for DJ and 2 picks. Doc trade goes through, but the league kills the KG trade, costing the Celtics a pick and DJ. Ainge is the only GM I know who was smart enough to get value for a coach who didn't even want to be there anymore.
- Ainge is offered 2 2nd rounders by the Cavs for Pierce, but instead, Ainge manages to package Pierce and KG for expirings and a treasure chest full of unprotected picks.
- Celts start off decent in 2013, so he trades Courtney Lee and Jordan Crawford for peanuts.

It's not Ainge's fault that half the league tanked in 2013-14. And it's not Ainge's fault that Cleveland won that lottery again last year, paving the way for Lebron to come home and trade Wiggins for Love. What was Ainge supposed to do? He might have been able to trade Rondo away earlier, but remember - Ainge was still holding out hope that he could pry another all-star away. What else would YOU have done differently? Give Jeff Green away? Oh wait, he's been trying to do that this season too. For a first round pick. Are you suggesting that Ainge just deal Jeff Green away for 2nd rounders, because you sure as hell don't sound too happy with the fact that he's got a bunch of picks to use.

[LarryBirdsFingr]

This press conference is gonna be hard to watch

[truth18]

This press conference is gonna be hard to watch

Yeah, was about to turn it on but I think I'll skip it.

[ILC]

He's late from his medical, still hasn't started. Traffic.

[theman]

I keep saying and will continue to say that those 3 Brooklyn picks will make or break the Ainge era. Ainge had better hope at least one of those translates into a Top 5 pick and at least 2 of the 3 years end up with us getting lottery picks or else this guy's overall resume as Celtics GM has been mediocre at best. Think about it, if we are sitting here in 2018 and are cashing in the last of our 3 Brooklyn picks and NONE of them ended up being higher than 10 then he will have been the GM for this franchise for 17 years with 1 title to show for it. Ainge better start saying the rosary nightly because his refusal to go ALL IN on tanking have basically left us with hoping those Brooklyn picks are high lottery picks to make this rebuild a success. Because we are not getting top STAR free agents here and we are not getting Top 5 picks on our own because of our own stupidity. Dumb.

Right now it will be whether or not Marcus Smart can be a productive point guard in the NBA that will make or break Ainge. He put all his eggs in that basket when he shipped Rondo out of town.

[soxfan2003]

I keep saying and will continue to say that those 3 Brooklyn picks will make or break the Ainge era. Ainge had better hope at least one of those translates into a Top 5 pick and at least 2 of the 3 years end up with us getting lottery picks or else this guy's overall resume as Celtics GM has been mediocre at best. Think about it, if we are sitting here in 2018 and are cashing in the last of our 3 Brooklyn picks and NONE of them ended up being higher than 10 then he will have been the GM for this franchise for 17 years with 1 title to show for it. Ainge better start saying the rosary nightly because his refusal to go ALL IN on tanking have basically left us with hoping those Brooklyn picks are high lottery picks to make this rebuild a success. Because we are not getting top STAR free agents here and we are not getting Top 5 picks on our own because of our own stupidity. Dumb.

Right now it will be whether or not Marcus Smart can be a productive point guard in the NBA that will make or break Ainge. He put all his eggs in that basket when he shipped Rondo out of town.

He didn't. Ainge has plenty of future picks to grab a PG if Smart is a failure and he has cap space to sign a PG in the future.

There is no need for the PG to be the best player on the team either. I like Smart's potential a lot but I doubt the Celtics ever win a championship if he is the teams best player. Smart was probably drafted with the expectation/hope that he may develop into that 2nd or 3rd guy sometime in the future and still be at that level 4-8 years from now when the Celtics could be great.

[ILC]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/celtics/status/546085428164845570[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/celtics/status/546085728955146242[/tweet]

[truth18]

Danny has a pathetic look on his face in this presser. Like he knows he should have traded Rondo years ago.

[ILC]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/celtics/status/546086082300092416[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/ByJayKing/status/546086217226661889[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/ChrisMannixSI/status/546086268988575744[/tweet]

[ILC]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ChrisMannixSI/status/546086788180480000[/tweet]

[truth18]

Looks like someone shaved his eyebrows off. Weird.

Damn. This is a sad presser. DA being pretty open about his emotions.

[ILC]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ByJayKing/status/546088060740706304[/tweet]

Yeah, they're gone.

[Hoopstar23]

I keep saying and will continue to say that those 3 Brooklyn picks will make or break the Ainge era. Ainge had better hope at least one of those translates into a Top 5 pick and at least 2 of the 3 years end up with us getting lottery picks or else this guy's overall resume as Celtics GM has been mediocre at best. Think about it, if we are sitting here in 2018 and are cashing in the last of our 3 Brooklyn picks and NONE of them ended up being higher than 10 then he will have been the GM for this franchise for 17 years with 1 title to show for it. Ainge better start saying the rosary nightly because his refusal to go ALL IN on tanking have basically left us with hoping those Brooklyn picks are high lottery picks to make this rebuild a success. Because we are not getting top STAR free agents here and we are not getting Top 5 picks on our own because of our own stupidity. Dumb.

Been having the same thoughts, I know guys are saying Ainge thought rondo would improved but man he should of took the sacremento deal or even tried to trade him in 2011-12 where they would of gotten a lot of goodies for him. But def ainge is on the hot seat if those picks dont turn out to be at least top 8 hes done. You may disagree with me but cs are much closer to another rick potino dark time ages where it could be another 8-10 years+ till cs have a championship team factor in that no one signs here