Hard to Believe Ainge will Make any Move Soon Trade Thread

[BillessuR6]

What is with this fascination with Barnes? It is not a coincidence Kings are as terrible as they are.

Paying 20 million for such a mediocre player would be a horrible move!

[itrsteve]

Me when I saw KPJ available.

I would for sure roll the dice on KPJ. Never know what could happen once you get him in an winning'ish environment.

[bucknersrevenge]

The question with Gordon, for me anyways, is will he buy in to be a defense first role player. Orlando was trying to play him as an offensive fulcrum which failed. Is Aaron still clinging to that idea? Will he embrace being a 4th option? If the answer is yes I think he would be very good for us even with the crappy shooting.

I think he's fully capable of scoring 16-17 pts and getting between 8 and 10 boards a game.

He's been between 15-17 ppg for the last 4 years so he can score some but he has a 53% TS for his career. Never cracked 55% TS on a season. Can he adapt his game to become more efficient playing off of better players? Is he content to let other guys initiate the offense or not?

Worst case scenario is Gordon plays like the chucker version of Marcus Smart or Marcus Morris and I don't want that guy.

Gordon is the exact opposite of a "chucker" He is horribly miscast as a #1 guy. He was the defensive backbone for that Arizona team he was one and content to let others do most of the scorer. He was a natural playmaker in high school. He's not an alpha and he doesn't have that mentality. He often gets the other teams most athletic defender because he's so athletic. He's really a #3 guy at best and would totally benefit from being a less keyed-upon guy. I wanted him instead of Smart that year in the draft. While I know it's considered blasphemous in many Celtics circles, I'd still trade Smart for him now 5 days a week and twice on Sunday.

[hugepatsfan]

Everybody likes Harrison Barnes and thinks he'd be a great fit, but the same reasons that we like him make me wonder why Sac would have any interest in dumping him. My guess is they have no interest at all of getting rid of him.

Because the Kings are 5-9, second to last in their conference. He's signed for 3 years at about $20M/per year which isn't a small chunk of change. Bad teams moving their higher priced players for assets is usually the starting point for a lot of trade talks. It just makes logical sense.

Maybe, but he's only 28, and pretty good. They've been a lottery team forever. They are not over the salary cap, so obviously not close to the luxury tax. To me it does not make sense unless you think they should dump good, not old players in order to get a better draft pick. My guess would be that they've been in the lottery for so long that they don't want to do that. To take him into our TPE, what would we send out that would entice them to do that? Our picks are going to be in the mid twenties for the foreseeable future.

All valid points. I don't mean to present Barnes as someone SAC would be depserate to move, but considering their overall situation as a team it stands to reason that it's somethign they'd consider.

As for price, in order to acquire Barnes and stay under the tax, I Theis and one of Langford or Nesmith need to go out. Theis wouldn't be much use to SAC, but he could be flipped. For comparison, the Rockets reportedly want 3 2nd for PJ Tucker. Theis is similarly cheap for one year and I think a comparable caliber of player. So 2-3 second would be fair for SAC to try for in a follow up flip. (DEN has a TPE and could really use a backup 5).

A recent lottery pick in either Langford/Nesmith, some second round picks and clos to $60M of financial savings would be competitive offer, IMO. Our playoff lineup after would be:

Kemba / Pritchard
Brown / Smart
Tatum / Ojeleye
Barnes / G Williams
Thompson / R Williams

[jmr07019]

I think he's fully capable of scoring 16-17 pts and getting between 8 and 10 boards a game.

He's been between 15-17 ppg for the last 4 years so he can score some but he has a 53% TS for his career. Never cracked 55% TS on a season. Can he adapt his game to become more efficient playing off of better players? Is he content to let other guys initiate the offense or not?

Worst case scenario is Gordon plays like the chucker version of Marcus Smart or Marcus Morris and I don't want that guy.

Gordon is the exact opposite of a "chucker" He is horribly miscast as a #1 guy. He was the defensive backbone for that Arizona team he was one and content to let others do most of the scorer. He was a natural playmaker in high school. He's not an alpha and he doesn't have that mentality. He often gets the other teams most athletic defender because he's so athletic. He's really a #3 guy at best and would totally benefit from being a less keyed-upon guy. I wanted him instead of Smart that year in the draft. While I know it's considered blasphemous in many Celtics circles, I'd still trade Smart for him now 5 days a week and twice on Sunday.

In that case sign me up. I too wanted Gordon in that draft.

[hugepatsfan]

I think he's fully capable of scoring 16-17 pts and getting between 8 and 10 boards a game.

He's been between 15-17 ppg for the last 4 years so he can score some but he has a 53% TS for his career. Never cracked 55% TS on a season. Can he adapt his game to become more efficient playing off of better players? Is he content to let other guys initiate the offense or not?

Worst case scenario is Gordon plays like the chucker version of Marcus Smart or Marcus Morris and I don't want that guy.

Gordon is the exact opposite of a "chucker" He is horribly miscast as a #1 guy. He was the defensive backbone for that Arizona team he was one and content to let others do most of the scorer. He was a natural playmaker in high school. He's not an alpha and he doesn't have that mentality. He often gets the other teams most athletic defender because he's so athletic. He's really a #3 guy at best and would totally benefit from being a less keyed-upon guy. I wanted him instead of Smart that year in the draft. While I know it's considered blasphemous in many Celtics circles, I'd still trade Smart for him now 5 days a week and twice on Sunday.

I think the improvements Smart has made as a shooter make him the clear better player over AG. Not a knock on AG because I agree with like all of your points. I just think Smart does all those things plus a better shot now.

My only issue with AG is that I think he needs to be next to a stretch 5 to make up for shooting. You can't have two guys who can't shot starting IMO. Had we have gotten Myles Turner, I'd be on board. But it's tough as things are now with our center rotation.

[Ernest]

Just realized something; There is almost no point in trade speculation right now because odds are high that come the trade deadline we will have someone out with injury. We can say what we think we need now but it can all change.

[jeremym480]

His contract isn't great but if the Warriors decided to punt on this season, Draymond would be great for this team. An enforcer who is a versatile, high IQ player who doesn't care about scoring would be perfect for the Jays as well as Kemba. Not to mention he could be a mentor to Grant Williams, who I hope can become a baby Dray sooner rather than later.

[robdog_5]

I like Gordon/Barnes for a number of reasons for our roster.

#1 defensive flexibility. We need another wing to play. Both these guys can play on the wing but can also defend up as a 4 even against some 5s and can switch if put in PnR. Gordon is the better defender but Barnes isn't terrible.

#2 veteran depth. neither is old but both have a lot of NBA court time.

#3 neither is a going to need high usage. I think on Celtics you'd see their #s down but they would be fit into good role spots that suit them. AG I think could benefit the most.

[31to6]

When does Romeo get back?

[flintsky21]

The Celtics could definitely have gotten involved in that Harden trade to get a piece like Jarrett Allen, Oladipo, or even Taurean Prince. I just don't think Ainge even tried at all. He values his young "assets" and picks too much and is too scared to swing for the fences and risk a bad deal. He's looking to add a star but it has to be strictly on his own terms. If not, he's not willing to overpay for good but not perfect players (i.e. Turner) and would rather much settle for lesser players at a cheaper price.

So while Barnes and Gordon will definitely be good additions, they're both on the Myles Turner salary range and same tier talents, so I'd be very surprised if Ainge would go for them. PJ Tucker, on the other hand, would be a very likely target. Similar to Ainge passing on Turner in favor of a lesser but cheaper player like Thompson, he would pass on guys like Gordon and Barnes for a cheaper alternative like Tucker. Tucker also fits Ainge's type of player (limited offensively, undersized but gritty) so it just makes too much sense.

[cl2117]

I'd be fine with trading for Barnes if we can get Whiteside as well. Feels like it kills 2 birds with one stone.

Same with Oladipo and PJ Tucker.

[FrodoFraggins]

The Celtics could definitely have gotten involved in that Harden trade to get a piece like Jarrett Allen, Oladipo, or even Taurean Prince. I just don't think Ainge even tried at all. He values his young "assets" and picks too much and is too scared to swing for the fences and risk a bad deal. He's looking to add a star but it has to be strictly on his own terms. If not, he's not willing to overpay for good but not perfect players (i.e. Turner) and would rather much settle for lesser players at a cheaper price.

I definitely am not really a fan of Danny anymore. But I'm willing to give him until next offseason to make use of the large TPE and
actually fill the teams needs. If he fumbles the TPE then I'm honestly going to be done with him.

In his defense, I will say that this year is not our year and he certainly knows that. But he has become too complacent and risk averse. I'm not sure what his long term plan is beyond pray that the Jays keep improving and other teams in the East do not.

[yeleven11]

The Celtics could definitely have gotten involved in that Harden trade to get a piece like Jarrett Allen, Oladipo, or even Taurean Prince. I just don't think Ainge even tried at all. He values his young "assets" and picks too much and is too scared to swing for the fences and risk a bad deal. He's looking to add a star but it has to be strictly on his own terms. If not, he's not willing to overpay for good but not perfect players (i.e. Turner) and would rather much settle for lesser players at a cheaper price.

So while Barnes and Gordon will definitely be good additions, they're both on the Myles Turner salary range and same tier talents, so I'd be very surprised if Ainge would go for them. PJ Tucker, on the other hand, would be a very likely target. Similar to Ainge passing on Turner in favor of a lesser but cheaper player like Thompson, he would pass on guys like Gordon and Barnes for a cheaper alternative like Tucker. Tucker also fits Ainge's type of player (limited offensively, undersized but gritty) so it just makes too much sense.

Oladipo and Allen are both free agents next year, which means if you trade for them, you're committed to paying them to keep them, which also means youre locking yourself into that exact core with no flexibility going forward. Also, dont discount the possibility that the nets might not have agreed to letting the celtics getting a piece in that trade.

[ConstableGeneva]

Celtics have 4 heavy rotation guys who play their best as a 5 on offense. Thompson is an offensive rebounder who doesn't have much else in his arsenal. Theis can hit it anywhere within 15 ft. and can finish inside as long as there isn't much traffic and he isn't getting boned by the refs. Timelord is a rimrunner who can hit the occasional midrange. Grant should be used more driving closeouts/fake handoffs against bigger guys or as a passer/finisher in the midpost/short roll, not a spot-up shooter.

So maybe we should address that. Get a true stretch four and a scoring wing if possible.

[jonige94]

Brad Stevens said he’s been around a lot of good teams. As for this group, he said they’ve been “OK.”

Yikes.

[yeleven11]

Brad Stevens said he’s been around a lot of good teams. As for this group, he said they’ve been “OK.”

Yikes.

Has Brad ever said that his team is good? lol.

[ConstableGeneva]

Brad Stevens said he’s been around a lot of good teams. As for this group, he said they’ve been “OK.”

Yikes.

Has Brad ever said that his team is good? lol.

Too lazy to find quotes but yes, he's spoken well about at least 3 of the last 5 rosters he's had.

[bisme37]

There's really good article from Smitty on Celticsblog today about what it's like to deal with Ainge. Some say he's easy to work with, some say he's difficult. And it sounds like Mike Zarren is the one who handles much of the stuff we think Ainge does. To get to Ainge on a potential trade you have to get by Zarren first. Anyway, good read...

https://www.celticsblog.com/2021/1/19/22237956/what-is-it-really-like-to-talk-trades-with-danny-ainge-boston-celtics

[yeleven11]

Brad Stevens said he’s been around a lot of good teams. As for this group, he said they’ve been “OK.”

Yikes.

Has Brad ever said that his team is good? lol.

Too lazy to find quotes but yes, he's spoken well about at least 3 of the last 5 rosters he's had.

He never praises his team early in the season tho