Trader Ainge defends Walker deal

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

By Steve Bulpett
Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Danny Ainge was suffering no trader's remorse the day after he dealt away
Antoine Walker [news] for promises. The Celtics director of basketball
operations heard negative reviews on the move, but he was wavering not a bit
in the trade winds.

     ``I honestly cannot base how I do my job on how fans are going to react
or how people in the media are going to react,'' Ainge said last night. ``I
have to do the work and make the best decisions I can. If I worry about what
people are going to say afterward, then I'll never get anything done.''

     What Ainge got done in sending Walker and Tony Delk to Dallas for Raef
LaFrentz, Jiri Welsch, Chris Mills and a No. 1 draft pick was one of the major
trades in Celtics history. The callers to the talk shows thought he had some
splainin' to do. The calls to his home went likewise.

     ``I've even had my brothers and my father and my son calling me and
saying, `OK, now tell us how this works,' '' Ainge said. ``But once I
explained my perspective - just like we talked about it in-house; ownership,
coaches and everything - everyone was on the same page. People don't
understand the salary cap and flexibility and what first-round draft picks can
mean down the line and value of a particular player. I believe that we at
least got 70 cents on the dollar for a player who could have left us down the
line, and I believe that there's a chance that we end up getting $1.40 on the
dollar. Maybe even $2 if everything works out with the draft pick and what we
can get in a free agent.

     ``But I kind of expected this reaction because I don't think that, first
of all, the average fan and even the people around the league like ESPN.com
and all the people that write that stuff have as much information as I do
about this trade. I'm not saying that I'm more of a basketball expert than
they are, but I feel like I have a better grasp on the pulse of our team, our
future, our chemistry, our personnel - everything - and how it all fits. So I
kind of expected a negative reaction because Antoine's an All-Star.''

     The nothing-to-hide part of Ainge wishes he could spill it all to get his
point across. This is the same guy, after all, who believes that the team
needs to always be accountable. But for a man in his new position, there are
feelings to consider - even if he doesn't necessarily understand all those
feelings.

     ``It would be nice if I could tell every fan all of the aspects of why I
do the business I do, but I don't believe that that's fair to coaches and
players,'' Ainge said. ``You know, I probably talk too much as it is because I
wish I could tell everybody every little thing. But you have sensitive people
involved here.''

     Ainge, thankfully, is not overly sensitive. There is a job to be done,
and thick skin is just as important as knowledge of the salary cap. But he
thinks it's important to note he isn't in the bunker alone.

     ``I don't have the same kind of clout that Rick Pitino had,'' Ainge said.
``I'm not just coming in here doing anything I want. I have an experienced
staff and coaching staff and owners that run the business side, and we discuss
everything we're doing in great detail. And when it's unanimous, those are
easy. I trust my instincts, but I communicate with a lot of people and I see
if my instincts are right. And then it has to make sense with the plan you
have in place. This was unanimous. This wasn't just me. We have checks and
balances built into our organization. I talked with Red (Auerbach) about this
deal about three or four days ago in detail. When I laid it out for him, Red
was 100 percent for it. He thought it was a great trade.''

     Ainge will have to wait for the populace to agree with him and the
franchise patriarch.

     ``The bottom line is I believe that I did this trade because I think that
in long run people will see that it's a good trade for us,'' he said. ``At the
same time, I believe we have accumulated chips in the game of play and build -
building a champion. I feel like I have more flexibility to do more things
with our team moving forward. In the position we're in, that's what you're
looking for.''


Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx