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Re: The Madness Of King Dan or Oh What A Horrible Deal

On Feb 20, 2004, at 5:24 AM, wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

In a double whammy of a horrible trade, Danny Ainge devalued his
own commodities and insured the Pistons continued Eastern
Conference dominance.

Words can barely describe all stupid this trade was.

But here goes.

The Celtics had the Pistons over Niagara Falls size precipice in a barrel.
Detroit desperately needed the Celtics, who offered them the ability to make
a championship run with Wallace and re-sign Mehmet Okur.

That was the situation.

A championship run for Detroit and being a future EC powerhouse.

All in the hands of Danny Ainge.

What leverage!

And Ainge got a Late First Round Pick for all that leverage.

KABOOM!!!!

He didn't hold out for two number ones or Carlos Delfino and the pick,
but settled for a crappy late first-rounder.

Ray --

i'll agree with you that Detroit needed us a lot more than we needed them -- and thus should have gotten either Delfino or another pick. But lets be realistic: Detroit is a EC powerhouse without our "help".

And now look at what he's wrought:

It's not a given that Wallace will leave the Pistons at the end of the season.
They could take care of Okur first and then re-sign Rasheed. Or perhaps deal him
off in a sign and trade and enrich the team that way. But even if he departs, the
Piston thanks to Ainge can now re-sign Okur. With Okur and Milicic in the fold,
perhaps the Pistons then decide it's the right time to move out B. Wallace in
a deal.

though it may be a first, i think you're wrong here. I think it IS a given that Wallace leaves Motown -- because in order to have the room to actually sign Okur (and Kim jump in here if i'm wrong) they'd have to renounce their other FA's -- like Pitino did with Fox and Wesley to sign franchise-savior Travis Knight.

you're right that what we did was guarantee the Pistons keep Okur, but Wallace will be a Knick next year -- unless someone makes a ridiculous offer for him much higher than the MLE that Isaiah gives him.


Whatever, but thanks to Ainge, the Pistons are in a much better position
in the future to trade for an impact player, say like a Tracey McGrady,
because they will continue to have a formidable crop of big people.

Well you can't have it both ways. The Pistons have a "formidable crop of big people" because they've drafted well, made smart trades and smart FA signings:

Okur -- drafted in 2nd round, lower than the "crappy late first-rounder" we got from Detroit.

B. Wallace -- not drafted (even lower than the "crappy late first-rounder" we got from Detroit); received as almost a throw-in with Chucky Atkins (who helped net them R. Wallace another of their "formidable crop of big people") in the Grant Hill sign-and-trade.

Milicic -- drafted 2nd this year. To say this is anything but luck on the Pistons part is silly. Their version of our Len Bias theft -- without the tragic ending. But is Milicic any closer to being an NBA star than the player picked 25 spots later -- our own Kendrick Perkins?

R. Wallace -- they didn't get him for nothing (though it seems like it). They traded one of their "formidable crop of big people", Z. Rebracca, who they drafter -- you guessed it -- lower than the "crappy late first-rounder" we got from Detroit. The other players were folks they signed as FA's to short, low money deals with similar ending years.


Do I think this is the trade of the century? No. But i also don't think its as you and Bill Simmons (who nailed it on the A-Rod deal (see ESPN Pg. 2), but must be sniffing glue when he says this is the "the dumbest, most inexplicable trade in the history of Boston sports" -- c'mon Bill do these ring a bell?

the Vin Baker trade

Vitally for #9 pick in the 1999 draft

Vin Baker trade (so bad it bears repeating)

Let's all -- as Bill Simmons suggested in his A-rod column -- step back from the edge. Let's give this some breathing room and see what happens.

(the other) mark