From: Way Of The Ray <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: celtics@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Bulpett: Ainge Trying As All Open To Trade
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 08:06:39 -0400
(Most interesting thing: No one interested in a package of Celtics
picks so far. Keep trying Danny.)
No Celt untouchable
by Steve Bulpett
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Danny Ainge didn't tip his hand on his plans for tomorrow night's NBA
draft, but he opened a bay window into the way he'll run the Celtics
when speaking about the trade rumors that have been circulating lately.
Given an opportunity to dismiss all the Antoine Walker talk, Ainge said,
``Nobody is untouchable.''
Including Paul Pierce?
``Including Paul Pierce,'' he said. ``Including anybody. Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar was traded. I'm not looking to trade, but nobody's
untouchable - ever.''
Ainge did note that there has been no serious discussions involving any
of his key players, but Walker's name has been raised by other clubs.
Asked what it would take to pry the co-captain away, Ainge said, ``I
don't know. All I know is that so far anybody that has asked about that
is nowhere near what it would take.''
Clearly everything is on the table as Ainge seeks to improve the Celts.
The new director of basketball operations would like to get a point
guard with one of his two first-round picks (Nos. 16 and 20), but he
isn't averse to going in a different direction.
He stated the Celtic needs thusly: ``We could use a little more strength
at the five position, the four position and shooting and point guard
position.''
That about covers the map, and Ainge believes he has the possibilities
covered, too.
``I'm hopeful for (the draft) to go a certain way, and through research
these things change each day,'' he said. ``You get some information and
I'm sure a lot of misinformation, as well. But I'm hopeful that it's
going a certain way, and I have a Plan A. So I'm hopeful that Plan A
works. Now I'm working on Plan B, C, D, E and F. But based on what my
Plan A is, I believe that we will probably be successful in Plan B or C
as a minimum. That's my guess right now.''
Ainge said he will not balk at taking a step back from the Celts'
current standing or going with very young (read: no immediate impact)
talent to achieve the greater good down the line.
``Sure, if I think it's worth the risk, I'm patient enough,'' he said,
adding, ``Are you patient enough? Are the Boston fans patient enough?
How patient is Jim O'Brien? Those are all questions you have to weigh.''
While Ainge would like to find players who can help right away, he is
taking a longer-term view of tomorrow's process.
``I think every draft is important,'' he said. ``You have to come away
with something. When you're drafting 16 and 20 and you look at the
history, about one out of every three players becomes a successful NBA
player when you're drafting in that (range). So I wouldn't say this
draft is a make-or-break type of situation.
``Again, we're talking about the best available players in the draft.
We're talking about taking the 16th-best player in the draft and the
20th-best player in the draft - assuming everybody does their job. So
realistically that's just a stepping stone for what we're doing. If we
can get one player that can contribute and have an asset, so to speak,
that can be moved for something down the road, there's a lot of ways
that this draft can be successful. But you really can't measure a draft
sometimes until the trade after or a year or two or three years later.''
Ainge said he has tried to package the Celtics picks and move up in the
draft but found no takers. And he's still pursuing other deals.
``I talk to people every day about trades of players on our team,'' he
said, ``and I think that things heat up at certain times in this
business - right before the draft, during the summer months of free
agency and before the trading deadline. But typically what happens is
there's just a lot of discussion and people are seeing what your value
is on these guys. So a trade discussion that's nothing but talk can
suddenly turn into something when names get involved.
``Trade conversations go on all the time. But trade conversations, 99
percent of the time, don't lead to anything. Most of the trade
conversations are, `Who do you like on my roster? Well, I like this guy.
OK, well you can't have him. Who do you like on my roster? Well, I
really like that guy. OK, what will you do? . . . Oh, that's not even
close to good enough. OK, thanks. See you later.' I mean, that's what
trade conversations are in this business.''
Ainge also made it clear he is in charge. Speaking of O'Brien's input,
he said, ``It will be my decision who we draft, but we certainly talk.
Jim understands all the scenarios. He's a very, very smart man and we
see things a lot the same way. He may not be thrilled with who I draft,
but he'll certainly understand why I do what I do.''