Jones for Fortson: Denver likes this trade because it doesn't have a starting role for Fortson and Jones, if healthy, will provide the same skills happily coming off the bench. Denver is gambling that Jones' knee will be okay and Boston is gambling that Fortson can continue performing at the high standards he has set and that they will be able to sign him next year. Perhaps Boston knows something about Jones that it's not saying?
Mercer for Williams and Washington: Denver was looking to dump both of these players. Will they be productive in Boston? Possibly but there is more hope than calculation when predicting their future success in green. On the other hand, Mercer is good fit for Denver and could become a tremendous player. This is a great move for Denver.
Duh-wane for a future draft choice: Schintzius should be able to play in the NBA and should be a capable backup center. Why he hasn't produced is a mystery. Maybe Denver will get lucky and DS will suddenly blossom - but more likely, DS will be gone in January. If Denver improves into a serious playoff team, then the draft choice will have marginal value (how many draft choices beyound 10 have successful NBA careers?) For the Celtics, this is a great trade in that it gives them a chance to get lucky in a future draft.
- tom