Trade Danny Trade - They're Only A .500 Team After All

[wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

As Mid-Season dawns and the Celtics hover around mediocrity as usual, 
Danny Ainge has to have one more trade up his sleeve. Just one 
more trade Celtics fans ask, one that brings the team a PF and moves out
McCarty.

And Ainge shouldn't hesitate to trade Chris Mills and bring back salary,
as it's hard to believe the Vin Baker situation won't be resolved
in the coming months with either a forced retirement or some type of buyout.

Either that, or Coach Jim really needs to start playing Hunter and Perkins.

Some sort of ultimatum like that, is what Ainge needs to give Coach Jim.

Ainge must say to Obie: If you want me to keep the team intact Coach Jim, 
you'll have to give Perkins and Hunter some playing time, otherwise I'm 
dealing for a power forward.

And deals, deals, deals, I've got deals:

The Clippers would be a good team to target. They are looking to make a run
at Kobe and in the process are wanting to shed cap space. Methinks
some sort of Chris Mills/Mike James/draft choices for Melvin Ely and Marko Juric, 
etc. would be the way to go. They may even be interested in Stewart, as his contract
expires in 2005, creating more Kobe space. And then there's Ainge favorite Richardson,
whom the Clippers are rumored to be not re-signing. Not much room for him
on the current Celtics with Pierce, Jiri, and Davis, but perhaps a three-team deal
could be worked out. 
 
If the Celtics salary structure was no objective, they could do a Ricky Davis, Vin Baker,
and Chris Mills deal for Eddie Jones and Brian Grant. Somehow, Wyc may
not approve. 

A less harmful-to-the-cap deal would be Mills, McCarty, and Stewart
for Grant. Don't think Miami would be interested.

Or there's always Mihm, Mills, and McCarty for Grant. Mihm may hold a 
lot of interest for the centerless Heat, and Grant is the type of PF the 
Celtics need.

You could take a chance on Keon Clark by sending the Jazz, Chris Mills.

You could offer to take Laettner off the Wizards' hands in a
Mills and McCarty for Laettner and Etan Thomas deal. They'd
probably want a pick thrown in for Thomas.

Does Toronto need a Walter McCarty?  If so, Bradley for McCarty works.

Will Portland deal Dale Davis before the deadline?  If so,  you could do a Mills
and Mihm for Davis.  The Blazers are another team that needs a center.
You could do Mills, Stewart, and McCarty for Davis and McInnis, though they'd
likely want a first-rounder included or Patterson's contract picked up.

Then there's Stromile Swift? What do the Grizzlies need?
Yet another club that needs a center.  Mihm, Jones,
and a pick for Swift?

Ol' Nazr Mohammed might be worth a shot. Mills for Nazr and Dan
Dickau works.

Marcus Fizer always seems headed elsewhere, but never leaves the
Bulls.  Mills, McCarty, and Jones for Fizer and Pippen suffices.

How about Scott Pollard? Seems a better fit with the Celtics, than 
the Pacers.  You could do Mills for Pollard and Fred Jones. 

Want to help Isiah out?   You could send Mills and McCarty for Anderson
and Sweetney. 

So, methinks the trade possibilities are out there...
Ray