two expiring contracts = a 1st rounder and a commodity

["Thomas Murphy" <tfmiii@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

OK, now wasn't that a big disappointment after all the talk about Dampier &
NVE or some of the other blockbuster scenarios out there. :(

Basically Ainge had two expiring contracts that -- had Baker stayed sober -- 
would have been allowed to expire in order to keep us out of Lux Tax
territory. Now that Baker is (soon to be) toast, allowing those contracts to
expire brings the team nothing (other than more dollars to management). So
the task was to try and bring back something of value without taking on
additional handicaps. Acquiring a tradable commodity, even if not a
long-term solution to the Celts needs, was a way to conserve trade value
that would have been lost and would not have been able to have been recouped
through free agency (since we will still be over the cap and limited to our
exceptions). Given Baker's termination it was actually in our interests to
retain contracts, as long as they are not too unreasonable, as chips for
executing future trades and/or sign-and-trades. So unlike the case in the
recent past, getting a reasonable contract back was worth it, if only as an
asset to bundle with other contracts in future trades.

The caveat against taking on handicaps seems to have been the deathknell of
the proposed Barry trade as well as a key reason neither Malik Rose nor
Juwan Howard are here: neither would have been the long-term answer at PF
but both had contracts that you'd only expect to pay to a piece (but not the
biggest) of the puzzle, not just a placeholder in order to retain value.
Atkins will play and, more importantly, his strengths and weaknesses should
compliment Banks. If you need a stopper out there -- get Banks in the game.
If you need a veteran hand to re-regulate the tempo and direct traffic, get
Atkins out there. Plus, his salary is manageable and will expire soon -- a
lot sooner than the contracts held by Rose or Howard (what was the saying,
sometimes the best trade is the one you never make?). And Atkins will have a
role to play even when Banks becomes the starter, a role he is already
comfortable in. Plus don't forget the first round pick... and screwing Isiah
and NY!! (good point Jim!)

Atkins can't do much worse than James regarding team chemistry/offense and
may actually help, plus his contract will be available for future trades.
Then there is the question of what they do with the pick. But in both cases
they now have more options than if they simply let Mills' and James'
contracts expire.

Earth-shattering? No. Bad? Not really. Fairly mediocre, but once again it is
a mediocre with a lot more upside than sitting on expiring contracts. Think
of it as the kind of unexciting but necessary maintenance needed to maintain
a flexible roster that will enable us to take advantage of opportunities
when they *do* present themselves.

This is hardly the trade we envisioned, but in terms of conserving trade
value, maintaining flexibility and options, and exercising patience, a lot
worse trades could have been made.