Ainge: Nothing Imminent

by Jeff Clark on Feb 10, 2009 10:38 AM EST in Boston Celtics Rumors

Danny Ainge knows you want him to make a move. He also knows that he shouldn't top his hand or make other GMs think he's desperate. So he trots out the same old denials and GM-speak he always does. Herald:

Just because the Celtics lost to their two chief Western Conference rivals doesn’t mean Ainge believes his team was exposed. Like several other teams, he attempted to talk Alonzo Mourning out of retirement and recently was turned down by the big man. Ditto for old friend P.J. Brown.

He still could make a trade. Just don’t count on one.

“Nothing imminent,” Ainge said yesterday. “There’s nothing that we’re close to doing.”

Of course this changes nothing. Something could coalesce in a matter of hours if the right team makes a hard decision about their roster and decides to make a move. He always leaves that door open.

“I doubt it,” Ainge said of the chance he will make a move by the trading deadline. “But there is always a chance.”

My feeling is that the team has no interest in making a move before the deadline (unless it is a no-brainer deal) because they have so few assets to offer in deals. I'm thinking they'll just wait till after the deadline and see what shakes out from the guys that get cut before March.

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Comments

I agree. We have nothing other teams value.

Any additions will come from cuts.

by CoachBo on Feb 10, 2009 7:57 AM EST reply actions

We may have to cut POB and sign Pollard if we don’t get Smith, Brown, etc.

by moiso on Feb 10, 2009 8:45 AM EST reply actions

Pollard would be a good backup half year signing.

by liamail on Feb 10, 2009 7:07 PM EST up reply actions

Yay

Its gonna be great watching this putrid bench in the playofffs…not
Casell better get in shape and get out on the floor if this is the case

by TheAncientRivalry on Feb 10, 2009 8:51 AM EST reply actions

Well, even if there was some trade movement we wouldn’t comment on it. He said the correct things to be said. I believe he is looking for ways to upgrade the roster. We still have the Marbury possibility and the trade deadline approaching. Nothing has changed

by greenwise on Feb 10, 2009 9:05 AM EST reply actions

No news here...

…this is the same rhetoric you’d hear from every GM in the league…that being said, there are probably plenty of pointless trades that Boston could make – remember, every team has low-value vets and youth occupying roster spots…but the type of niche vets the team is looking for are 1 year rental types – doubtful Ainge would trade young players he values for a stretch run vet who is unlikely to be re-signed…

by BillfromBoston on Feb 10, 2009 9:11 AM EST reply actions

the cupboard looks bare- but we need a sub not a starter and an aging vet on the decline could help us for a few mins. san antone picked up kurt thomas last year for a dear price but he is really useful to them this year in a limited capacity. someone like kt must be around somewhere.

by nazzbo on Feb 10, 2009 10:17 AM EST reply actions

The team has a better record than last year’s team, and they’ve played more games in a shorter period of time.

They lost two close games to good teams. It happens. Let’s see how they do in the upcoming road games. If they go 4-2 over their next six games, I’ll be perfectly happy.

There is no one out there who is better than the players they have. Maybe the answer is to start developing Gabe Pruitt the way the Mavs have developed George Hill.

Instead of blaming the bench, maybe we ought to look at the fact that Ginobili completely outplayed Pierce in the 4th quarter on Sunday.

by Brickowski on Feb 10, 2009 10:33 AM EST reply actions

available: 6'9" solid team and man on man defender; good passer; career 35% three ball shooter and 37% this year

good locker room guy. Faults: can’t rebound and can’t make his own shot. We will have this guy within two weeks: Brain Scalabrine, ie, Posey Lite

Brian had almost filled Poseys shoes for us. But we still could have used a long big man. Thats all we need.

by wahz on Feb 10, 2009 10:40 AM EST reply actions

I agree with this. There is no one out there better than Scalabrine, at least not at a reasonable price.

I have no interest in Joe Smith, who is an indifferent defender. That’s why he has bounced from team to team. I’d give up quite a bit to get Nick Collison, but I doubt if the Celtics have what OK City would want for Collison.

by Brickowski on Feb 10, 2009 11:19 AM EST up reply actions

Danny is selling us short

Mutombo called and asked Celt brass to become a Celtic. Danny needed to pick up the phone and tell PJ, we either need a commitment to come back or move on and took Mutombo. Danny put Mutombo on hold and he went to the Rockets. We need a big guy. Baby and Powe are too small for Gasol and Odom.

Baby can hit 6 or 7 open looks or 7 or 9 verse the Raptors, Nets, Magic in regular season. Against the Cavs, Lakers, etc he isn’t going to get those looks.

Cavs are at $90M we are at $80. We could have had Mutombo, Posey, even pay Marbury $1M to get his buyout done for good and have the bench to repeat. Scal tries his best but he is a poor man’s Posey. No disrespect to Scal but he can’t bring anywhere near what Posey brought to the Celts. The lowballing for Posey, the letting Mutombo slip away, and the basic trying to win on the cheap is really putting a crimp into #18.

by brianceltfan on Feb 10, 2009 1:09 PM EST reply actions

Maybe there is already an agreement in place...

and the player (be it PJ or Zo) has agreed to sign on, but not this early in the season.

by VtCeltics on Feb 10, 2009 5:14 PM EST up reply actions

Baby and Powe are too short for Gasol and Odom?

You realize that Gasol and Odom start and Big Baby and Powe come off the bench right? Perk and KG match up against Gasol and Odom, and without the flu, those 2 do just fine. Gasol played like 42 minutes the other night, whereas KG fouled out early and played only 33, that is why you saw more of those matchups. But in a playoff series, we won’t be playing the bench, particularly those 2, nearly as much. LA has to use their bench too don’t they? Don’t you mean Chris Mihm and Josh Powell?

Phil played both games like he had to win those single games. Doc played his normal bench rotation, recognizing this is the regular season, complete with travel and back to backs. Once it is a game every 2-3 days, less travel in general, and especially if they make the Finals, you will also see KG playing 40+ minutes. Making too much of how our bench matched against their starters in a regular season game, does not reflect an understanding of how vastly different things will be in a playoff series where you play the same team stretched out over many days.

by KJ33 on Feb 10, 2009 10:44 PM EST up reply actions