Q: Wouldn't you say the Red Sox not getting A-Rod in 2003 was BY FAR the best non-trade of all...

Q: Wouldn't you say the Red Sox not getting A-Rod in 2003 was BY FAR the best non-trade of all time?
-- Adam, Toronto

SG: There's a bigger one: After Seattle picked Robert Swift in the 2004 draft, the Celtics offered the Sonics the 13th pick (basically, the rights to Al Jefferson) and their 2005 No. 1 pick for Swift's rights … and Seattle said no. Three years later, the Celts turned Jefferson, the 2005 pick (Delonte West) and other stuff into Kevin Garnett and a 17th title. So that's right up there. I mean, have you SEEN Robert Swift?

Bill Simmons

about 3 years ago Jeff Clark 11 comments 0 recs |

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wow

I knew that Ainge liked Swift, but wow. I hadn’t heard about that trade offer.

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V

by Jeff Clark on Mar 6, 2009 9:40 AM EST reply actions

by the way...

not to nitpick Bill or anything, but the 2005 pick was Gerald Green, who was also included in that trade for KG

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V

by Jeff Clark on Mar 6, 2009 9:42 AM EST reply actions

Yeah, Bill is off

We had the 15th pick, not the 13th.

And Delonte West went at 24/25 (him and Tony were back-to-back) in the 2004 draft.

The 2005 draft, pick 18, was Gerald Green. Don’t ask me why I remember all of this.

by Greg on Mar 6, 2009 9:47 AM EST reply actions

Exactly my first thoughts while reading his comments

Well done, Greg.

-sw

Manuel Aristides Ramirez is the greatest hitter I've ever seen.

by Steve Weinman on Mar 6, 2009 12:13 PM EST up reply actions

Simmons is just making this up…

by thebirdman on Mar 6, 2009 9:57 AM EST reply actions

I’ve thought this about quite a few of the trades he claims have been offered over the years.

In my eyes, he lacks credibility in a major way.

Simmons is a good writer …. but a good reporter? …..

by Who on Mar 6, 2009 10:35 AM EST up reply actions

who was the poster on the old site who always wanted to go after Robert Swift and that Ukrainian kid from the Clips? Big John?

by im right on Mar 6, 2009 10:10 AM EST reply actions

Simmons is a beauty heh? I guess he had too many questions to get to in his mailbag to check his facts on his answers.

by celty86 on Mar 6, 2009 11:24 AM EST reply actions

Swift

Defintely not saying Swift was or ever will be comparable to Big Al, but is it possible he could have developed into a much better player in the Celtics organization?

Look at Seattle’s track record of developing bigs: Sene, Johan Petro, Robert Swift…all first round picks (all lottery I believe) all busts.

Thank god this trade didn’t happen, but maybe Swift could have developed into something more than a bust had he ended up in the C’s system.

by huzy on Mar 6, 2009 11:34 AM EST reply actions