Can Danny?

Danny done good. The signing of Kendrick Perkins was a pleasant surprise as Ainge somehow convinced the young and ever improving big man to sign for 4 million a year over the next four season. If you don't know what a bargain that is, it's 2 million less than Jerome James or Etan Thomas, a million less than Brendan Haywood and just one million more than Francisco Elson signed (who has eight years on the 22 year old Perkins. And if those numbers don't impress you, how about this: it's just one million more than Brian Scalabrine.

While I'm not sure how well a Perkins/Ratliff frontcourt matches up in the new fast paced NBA, the bottom line is that we have a great locker room veteran in Ratliff and a hard working young big man who makes next to nothing. Well done Danny.

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The old adage "No news is good news" was never more spot on than this offseason for the Celtics. While most everyone in Celtic Nation eagerly/anxiously awaited Danny Ainge's next move, something else happened. Our owners decided to actually try to wait.

Asked about the biggest challenge of owning the Celtics, Grousbeck said, ``The patience to go `young and athletic,' which is a multiyear process. But the roster we inherited did not have championship upside potential, so we had to go younger and invest long-term."

When I read that quote in the Boston Globe, I couldn't have been happier. Do I trust Danny? Hell no, but the fact remains that I'd rather have to deal with Danny building a team at his own pace instead of watching Danny try to cobble together a roster while keeping a couple of impatient venture capitalists happy. Owners always want the big name in spite of talent. Just look at the Red Sox. Theo didn't want Beckett but Larry Lucchino did. As usual, the GM was right while the owner was wrong. (And of course, the Atlanta Hawks prove to be the exception to this rule since ousted owner Steve Belkin knew they shouldn't have given up so much for Joe Johnson).

Waiting to make a deal doesn't just make sense, it's the ONLY thing that makes sense. While people can dream up trade scenarios for KG, Jermaine O'Neal, and others, the fact remains that the guys we were most likely getting were on the Kenyon Martin/Carlos Boozer/Zach Randolph echelon. In time, Wally should be healthier but even if he isn't, his contract still becomes more manageable. Not only is Theo Ratliff a great locker room guy but he's a must in the middle (where we really only have Perkins) and will be an expiring deal for the 2007 offseason. Boozer and Randolph are known commodities and would be Celtics for years to come. The problem is that nobody can be sure if the reason for their Celtic tenure woud be because they lived up to their potential and helped the Celtics win or because they struggled and became immovable contracts. Jefferson and Gomes might be bigger question marks in the short term but any failure on their part won't linger over the team for the long term. (Assuming Danny doesn't make a Mullin and sign his busted picks to big, long term deals).

This might sound odd but even though I don't think the Celtics will be very good this season; I haven't been this optimistic about our future in quite some time.

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If the C's are going to make a deal before training camp, there's a good chance that it will be with a team from this division. We've already made deals with Portland and I wouldn't be stunned if we sent Theo back to the mediocre Northwest once we're able to deal him.

Denver Nuggets: Obviously Kenyon Martin is on the block. The Nuggets have said that they don't want to give him away and want, at the very least, expiring contracts so it is going to be tough for us to get him straight up. I doubt the Nuggets would be interested in Wally so it would likely have to be a Theo + a young prospect. Tony Allen and Delonte West are probably the top two candidates as they can step in now. Gerald Green doesn't make a ton of sense because the Nuggets already have a couple of project shooting guards in Julius Hodge and JR Smith. I think a three way deal with Cleveland involving Wally, K-Mart, and Larry Hughes could work for all three teams but that depends on whether Cleveland is interested in bringing Wally back to Ohio. I'm not a fan of Andre Miller and think we're better set with Bassy and Rondo, although I wouldn't be stunned to see Denver try to move 'Dre.

Utah Jazz: Carlos Boozer is another guy coming off injury that could be had but isn't being given away. Odds are that Big Al Jefferson might have to be a part of this deal to make it work. Then again, how much playing time is he really going to get under Jerry Sloan? Theo and Perkins might actually fit better in Utah but that leaves us without a starting center unless Ainge's plan is to move Big Al to the middle. Maybe we get Jarron Collins in return for a 2nd round pick or something but I think the Jazz might prefer to keep Boozer and the cheap Collins rather than getting Theo and then having to resign Perk. K-Mart is an easier target but Boozer is a plan B (if we're looking to make a trade) that could both be attainable and help the Celtics this season.

Seattle Supersonic: The Sonics have a lot of trade pieces but I don't know what we have that would interest them. It's rumored that the Sonics turned down Gerald Green for Robert Swift and I don't think they'd be all that interested in adding Wally Szczerbiak for Rashard Lewis. While the Sonics are likely looking to make a move (especially one involving Danny Fortson), I don't see us being the ideal trading partners, especially if they aren't interested in Gerald Green.

Minnesota Timberwolves: I don't see us having enough to get KG and I don't want anyone else on their roster who's available. The Wolves are probably hard at work trying to make a deal but who is interested in Marko Jaric, Troy Hudson and Eddie Griffin? Trenton Hassell could be a help to a number of teams but if the Wolves want to keep The Kid happy, they can't get rid of their best defensive swingman. Portland Trail Blazers: They seem content to build around Zach Randolph and if I was Paul Allen, I'd already be working out a buyout deal with Raef Lafrentz, giving him 15 - 17 million to opt out of his contract next season. That, of course, still leaves Darius Miles on the books and dumping Darius to be the Blazers' top priority for the rest of the offseason. They should have gone after Jared Jeffries so to force the Knicks to have to deal for Miles. With Zeke off of the trail, it's going to be hard to get rid of Miles and the Blazers will likely have to take a whole bunch of nothing to get rid of him. However, Jamaal Magloire might be a piece that could entice someone to take on Miles. Washington or Minnesota could bite on a Magloire/Miles package. I think the Blazers would rather hold onto Magloire rather than dump him for mediocre contracts but if they want to rid themselves of their biggest headcase, they'll likely have to ship out Jamaal.

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The toughest conference in the East looks to stay just as tough although even more contested than last season. The Pistons lost Ben Wallace to division rival Chicago but the Bulls still have some cap space and might not be done dealing yet.

Detroit Pistons: While the Pistons did lost Big Ben, they shored up their bench with the economy signing of Flip Murray for a mere 1.7 million. While Nazr Mohammed isn't going to make anyone forget about Ben Wallace, the more important Piston is Antonio McDyess. If the 32 year old Dice isn't able to step up and help out with more minutes, the Pistons could take a major step back this season. Then again, this is a team that was 14 games better than their next closest competitor so a major step back still has them as one of the teams to beat in the East.

Cleveland Cavaliers: People who think Cleveland will be better this season because they'll have a healthy Larry Hughes clearly don't know much about Larry Hughes. In the past three seasons before this lost campaign, Hughes has missed a combined 65 games. Larry Hughes is rarely 100% and even when he is, he didn't fit with the Cavs system. As for Drew Gooden, like many free agents this season, he's badly overplayed his hand. He will likely struggle to get market value for his services and can't even sign a one year deal with a team that could use him because the Cavs will match. Playing for the qualifying offer doesn't help because with Varejao's emergence and Donyell Marshall still around, Gooden will be fighting for playing time, hardly the situation one wants to be in in a contract year. Gooden's agent needs to find a sign-and-trade for his client. Either way, the Cavs should be fine. Perhaps a deal with Hughes and Gooden to Sacramento for Bonzi Wells and one of their PF's could work. Worst case scenario, the Cavs get a focused Gooden hoping to do good on his one year contract. While the Cavs would probably love to dump Damon Jones and Eric Snow, it will be tough to find takers for either of them. Perhaps packaging one of them with Gooden in a sign-and-trade could work but how much is a team going to give up for Gooden and Damon Jones at around 12 million dollars? The Cavs have some work to do heading into this season because right now, they could end up with a few unhappy campers and the potential for infighting.

Chicago Bulls: The Bulls snared Ben Wallace and then, in a more important move, acquired an expiring deal in PJ Brown for Tyson Chandler. With the Phoenix Suns growing closer and closer towards the luxury tax, they may be interested in moving Shawn Marion. Very few teams in the East have the assets and expiring contract to make it work. The Suns would probably rather deal Shawn out of conference so Chicago may be in the driver's seat for The Matrix. If not the Matrix, the Suns still have some cap space so they could look to bring in another free agent or two to round out the squad. However, what could be the most interesting non-move for the Bulls is the lack of an extension for Kirk Hinrich. Hinrich's value is pretty steady so it seems odd that the deal hasn't gone down yet. Paxson might not want to make a deal so to maximize his cap space for next season but that would be a risk. Then again, with Duhon and Gordon also on the roster, it could be a risk worth taking. Mike Sweetney also will be looking for a new deal although I'd be surprised if he got one before next season. In fact, Sweetney's expiring deal makes him all the more valuable as a trade commodity.

Indiana Pacers: Once they sort out the Al Harrington deal, nothing will be changed. The Pacers are still an also-ran in the division who might not even be able to stay out of the central celler this season. For all the talk of Harrington's improvement, he's still pretty much the same player he was when he left Indiana. The better stats are because he was on the lowly Hawks and got more minutes and more shots. He isn't going to replace Ron Artest and he won't be able to step in for Jermaine O'Neal if he continues to miss games like he has the last two seasons. Stephen Jackson still needs to be moved. Unless Rick Carlisle is going to play medium-ball with Daniels, Jackson, Granger, Harrington, and O'Neail, it's going to be hard to find minutes for everyone. The Pacers might want to make a play for Sam Dalembert to help themselves in the center spot but right now, I think they just need to get what they can for Jackson.

Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks have a boatload of expiring deals and might be able to make a play for a solid player from a team looking to dump salary. Shawn Marion is not likely as the Bucks simply don't have the assets to get back a player of the magnitude. The Bucks could just wait the contracts out and sign someone with their cap space but last time they did that, they ended up with Bobby Simmons for ten million a year which is one of the worst moves in Larry Harris' short tenure as GM. The Bucks have a lot of bodies under contract and a barely under the luxury tax so unless a sweet deal comes their way, I can't imagine that they'll be making many more moves this offseason.

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Pacific Division seems pretty solid with only the Warriors looking like they might be making a big deal before the season. A couple of other teams have issues to work out but for the most part, the Pacific we see is likely the Pacific we'll get at the start of the season.

Golden State: Baron Davis' name is back in trade rumors and I wouldn't be stunned if he ended up in Beantown. If Ainge thought AI and Telfair could work, he's got to believe that Telfair and Baron could work, especially since Baron's often played alongside another point guard. My bigger fear is that we take on Troy Murphy's deal. Troy is a healthier Raef. He can do some thing but overall he's overpaid and doesn't add enough to help his team win. The Warriors are essentially where the C's could find themselves in a couple years... if we overpay our young guys when their contracts come due. The Warriors are definitely trying to make a move but, right now, they don't seem to have anyone intereted in their young talent.

LA Clipper: The Clippers seem to be set except for Corey Maggette. I'd be stunned if Maggs was a Clipper come playoff time because he can opt out of his contract next offseason, which he'll likely do since he could get a similar deal and doesn't seem exactly wanted by the Clippers. Besides Maggette, I don't see any major moves in the Clippers' plans.

LA Lakers: I wouldn't be stunned to see Lamar Odom traded but right now it seems like the Lakers are heading into the season with him at the PF spot. Andrew Bynum and Kwame might be on the block but I don't know what they'll get for Socks or who would want Brown.

Phoenix: The Suns are hovering around the luxury tax and might have to deal Shawn Marion or Barbosa (who they probably won't be able to resign next season). Kurt Thomas is another candidate but I don't see anyone being very anxious to take on his contract for an expiring deal (and I don't think Barbosa is a good enough asset for someone to swallow Thomas' contract). Orlando and Memphis might be the best options for a Marion deal (Orlando in a salary dump for Hill's contract/picks or Marion/Barbosa/Thomas for Eddie Jones/Swift/Warrick).

Sacramento: Obviously, Bonzi Wells is their main focus. They need to figure out what to do with him or how much they should try to get for him. Let him walk and the Maloofs might miss the luxury tax; resign or sign-and-trade means they'll be paying double for whatever contracts they get. If the luxury tax isn't a concern (which it appears it has become even in Sacramento), the Kings have ten million in expiring contracts in Corliss Williamson/Vitaly Potapenko. I'm sure they also wouldn't mind finding a taker for Kenny Thomas but I don't see anyone biting on that one. Odds are they'll get 25 cents on the dollar for Bonzi in a sign-and-trade and head into the season with the team they have.

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Come mid-August, all of the players dealt in the early offseason will be again able to be dealt. The first flurry of free agent signings have passed, leaving a couple of high profile names unclaims (Bonzi Wells, Chris Wilcox, Drew Gooden). So could there get their second trade wind and start making some moves? Let's see where the Atlantic division teams sit and what they seem to be trying to do.

New Jersey Nets: Supposedly the Nets are looking to shore up their frontline, something they've been trying to do ever since K-Mart left town. ESPN is reporting that they have interest in Joe Smith (but then again they reported the Knicks had no interest in Jared Jeffries a day or two before he signed an offer sheet). The problem is that the Nets only have Zoren Planninic, Jeff Mcinnis, and Antoine Wright to offer up in deals. Right now it looks like their most likely option is grabbing a Melvin Ely/Lo Wright type with their exception. (The Clippers reportedly will scoop up Aaron Williams next week) The talks of a blockbuster Richard Jefferson deal seem to have died down but if they want to make a push for the title, they'll likely have to move Jefferson for a big man to make it happen. However, Rod Thorn has never made a big August trade and it's not looking like this year will be any different.

Philadelphia 76ers: Iverson is supposedly off the block, which makes sense because I really didn't see the Sixers getting the better end of any deals. In one years, King will have a much easier time of cleaning house; Webber's contract will be expiring while AI will only have two years left. That being said, it's probably time to try to move Dalembert and Korver's contracts. The problem though is that the talent and financial help that those two could get will likely be less than hoped. Mark Blount? Stromile Swift and Brian Cardinal? With center-deprived teams like the Spurs and Pistons opting for cheaper replacements for their departed big men, the trade market for the Haitian Sensation has dried up. Still, I'd be stunned if Billy King didn't force some sort of deal. Right around August is where he's made his moves to get the likes of: Keith Van Horn, Glenn Robinson, Corliss Williamson, and Marc Jackson. So while the Sixers might shake things up, Celtics fans can rest assured that there's a high probability that it won't make the Sixers any better.

Toronto Raptors: The waiving of Alvin Williams could be seen as a signal that the Raptors are done dealing. If you were looking to move Mo Peterson, why get rid of an expiring deal that you could package with him to go after bigger targets? Bryan Colangelo is really rolling the dice with overseas veterans, dropping around 7 million a year for three years on 31 year old Anthony Parker and 29 year old Jorge Garbajosa. The Raptors still have cap space but they are also still based in Toronto which is going to make it hard for them to lure people there. Bonzi Wells might be an interesting fit but would he sign there? It seems like the most we'll likely see out of Toronto is more small signings to fill out the roster and possibly a small swap of swingmen involving Mo Peterson (maybe for the likes of Corey Maggette)

New York Knicks: The Knicks are like Caddyshack 2. They bear the name of a past great, have a lot of well-known talent, but in the end are just unwatchable. And Isiah HAS to do something. First off, Quentin Richardson has wanted to attack Stephon Marbury on at least two occasions and asking those two to coexist is an unnecessary sideshow for the already uphill battle Coach Zeke is facing. A deal of former Clippers seems obvious: Darius Miles for Quentin Richardson. Their contracts are the same and they'd be better off on their new teams. While Portland officials have recently said that the prospects of moving Darius before the season seem "impossible", I can't believe that, if Washington matches the Jeffries offer sheet, Isiah won't make another run at Miles. While Isiah also has some expiring contracts to move, I have a sneaking suspicion that owner James Dolan has put the kibosh on adding more salary to the already unwiedly ledger of the Knicks. I wouldn't be stunned to see Q, Malik Rose, Jamal Crawford, and David Lee for Miles and K-Mart (or that level of player). The Knicks could add some talent to their roster but odds are that it will be just as troubled as the talent they currently have.

Boston Celtics: Danny's M.O. has usually been one big trade in the offseason and one big trade at the midseason deadline. He also usually makes a smaller deal in the offseason which we haven't seen yet. While Wally's name has been tossed about in rumors, even the Trade Danny hasn't turned around a member of his "core" so quickly. Unless an blockbuster presents itself, I can't see Wally going anywhere. Theo Ratliff is more likely on the move and odds are it will be for a big man. My guess is that Theo and Big Al could be on the move for a veteran PF before the season begins. Also, if the Perkins contract talks don't go well, we could see him shipped out in a smaller deal for a more veteran big. While I think our backcourt picture will stay somewhat the same (Tony Allen possibly being the odd man out), my guess is that the Celtics are looking to shakeup their frontcourt. Whether they'll be able to find a deal is the question.

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Boston Celtics are in better shape now than they were in 2003. That is the argument most often cited when people defend Danny Ainge and its something I've grown tired of hearing (almost as much as I'm sick of Ainge bashers saying we could have drafted Randy Foye). While Ainge's drafting has been solid, the rest of his moves have not helped the Celtics whatsoever. The team in 2003, while aging, was not in as dire a situation as some like to claim.

Nevermind the fact that guys Ainge traded were then moved for better veterans (Antoine for Jason Terry and a pick; Battie for Anderson Varejao, Drew Gooden, and Steven Hunter), had we made no moves aside from resigning Tony Battie/Antoine Walker and picking up Marcus Banks' option while drafting the same pieces that Ainge drafted, our team would look like this:

• C: Battie, Perkins
• PF: Walker, Jefferson
• SF: Gomes*, Bobby Jones** Reed
• SG: Pierce, Green
• PG: Banks, Rondo**

* While some people might want to point out that we got the pick with which we selected Gomes in the Eric Williams/Tony Battie trade, it should be noted that that was actually our own pick, one we had dealt to Cleveland for Jumaine Jones.
** Say our team reached the same level of mediocrity that it had in the past, we would have had a mid-level draft pick and probably woudl have gotten Rajon Rondo with it. Our second round pick, however, would have been much higher than the one we traded for. Craig Smith went at our pick (which we dealt in the Wally trade) but seeing as we don't need another PF, I added Bobby Jones, who went the pick after ours.

Now while this team lacks a chunk of the young talent that Ainge lauds, it makes up for it in cap space. Battie, Walker, and Pierce make 8 million dollars less than Ratliff, Wally, and Pierce. Losing the youth we acquired in the Walker trade along with filler from deals (Brian Grant) and Brian Scalabrine, we'd have another 7 million dollars. So while people might say Danny has done such a great job because now we have the young talent to package with Wally or Ratliff to get a top player, they overlook the fact that without Ainge's moves, we would be able to sign a player of that level outright or acquire them without having to match salary in a sign-and-trade. This doesn't even take into account the fact that we would have had cap space earlier than this and could have made moves to bring in talented players in previous off-seasons.

Now, I am in no way saying that this was the best path to take to rebuild the Celtics. I'm just showing that staying the course with the 2003 Celtics might not have been as bad as people say nor would it have us in much worse shape than we are in now. It's essentially West, Allen, and Telfair for 15 million in cap space. Are Wally and Ratliff that much better than Walker and Battie? And which do you choose: West, Allen, and Telfair vs. 15 million in cap space? Before answering that, look at it this way, we could use E-Will's expiring deal and Banks to add Shawn Marion (since Phoenix is looking to cut salary and has shown an interest in Banks). To get Marion today, we'll likely have to deal two of our young guys (Say Ratliff, West, Allen somehow manages to get us Marion). In the end, the only difference is Telfair vs. Antoine (And if we dealt 'Toine for Terry when that deal came about, the difference is Terry vs Telfair). Either way, I just don't see how we're all that much better off now.

----

Now this brings us to our current situation: looking to deal Wally or Ratliff and youth for a veteran. While many people have Iverson in their sights, the truth is that that deal looks less and less likely every day and the remaining prospects are grim. Carlos Boozer, Kenyon Martin, Drew Gooden; those are the names that look available and it's probably take more than we'd want to give up to get them. Larry Hughes? Come on. If a star is dealt, it is usually for an expiring contract or a lotto-level young player, neither of which the Celtics have. Also, in the last decade, there haven't been many trades of young talent for established stars that have worked out for the team getting the veteran. Webber for Richmond. 'Sheed for Strickland. Rip for Stackhouse. JO for Dale Davis. Billups for Kenny. JJ for Rogers. Hughes for Kukoc. Brad Miller/Ron Artest for Jalen Rose. The one trade that I can think of that "worked" was Tony Battie for Nick Van Exel, but even that didn't do much for the Nuggets. If there's ever been a trade of young-for-old that worked, it was a veteran for a draft pick, not for a guy that's already been in the league. And to argue that Wally Szczerbiak or Theo Ratliff will tip the deal in our favor is being comically optimistic. I really don't see many teams trading a star and telling their fans, "It's OK, we'll have Wally for three more years!

The upsetting reality is that, while some people might like to think we're a team chock full of vaunted youth that everyone wants, our young guys don't have more value than the Baby Bulls that Jerry Krause acquired. And the best veteran any of those guys was traded for was PJ Brown.

It's youth-or-bust, right now. The young guys need to either win or at least show actual evidence of their much anticipated "potential" because that's the only way we're going to be getting anything back for them. Unless Danny's been saving up some stroke of the ol' Celtic luck, today's trade will most likely be tomorrow's regret.

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What is Perkins worth? Myers (Perkins' agent) could probably make a case that Perkins, who still is only 21 (he turns 22 in November) merits at least midlevel-exception money, like the deal the Pistons gave Nazr Mohammed (an estimated $30 million for five years) or even the one the Celtics gave Mark Blount ($38 million for six years) . Myers might also try to make a case that Perkins is entitled to even more. Joel Przybilla re-upped with Portland for an estimated $32 million over five years.

This blurb from Peter May makes sense right up to the part where he says, "Myers might also try to make a case that Perkins is entitled to even more". While I do think Myers might ask for more than 5 years and 30 million, May's definition of "more" is the comically low 5 years and 32 million. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think a whopping 2 million dollars over five years really constitutes "more" in today's NBA. I'm pretty sure Miami Vice was still starring Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas the last time $400,000 was the sticking point of an NBA contract negotations. If the worst part of Perkins' negotiations is whether or not we should give him an extra $400K then Danny and Wyc should thank their lucky stars.

The fear with Perkins is that he could hold out for at least two million more A YEAR, not overall. Dan Gadzuric resigned for 6 years, 36 million. Sam Dalembert resigned for 6 years and 60 million. If Perk's agent is worth anything, he's going to be pushing the Celtics towards the Haitian Sensation's tax bracket and saying that Perkins' value is much more than Gadzooky. May argues that the Celtics' counter will be to compare Perkins to Francisco Elson, who just signed for three million a year. Someone might want to tell Peter May that Denver's young talented big man was named Nene and he signed a 6 year, 60 million dollar contract. Francisco Elson is a 30 year old nobody. Youth is a marketable commodity in the NBA and something that none of the people mentioned in May's article have on their side. The youngest guy May mentioned was Joel Pryzbilla and even he's half a decade older than Perk.

Furthermore, the upcoming free agent class is weak (and getting weaker by the second as the members of the class of '03 resign with their current teams) and while May refuses to understand that there will be teams under the cap next season, it's even more ignorant to think that no team would be willing to overpay a 22 year old, hard working, defensive-minded center. The simple and obvious fact is that Perk could demand a solid chunk of change in the open market. The Celtics need to get at him while they still have some control over the situation.

One of the few things the C's have in their favor is Perkins' injury. That is a definite issue and one that could lower Perk's asking price. Some people might, like May, want to point out stats to help the C's cause but Perk's agent would likely point to one stat in particular: minutes per game. Perkins doesn't have the numbers Dalembert had because he didn't get to play Dalembert's minutes. Why should Kendrick be punished for Doc's rotations? In fact, Myers might wonder aloud if maybe Perkins wouldn't be better off somewhere where he could get more minutes and steady playing time? Perkins is a kid coming out of high school heading towards what many people think will be a breakout season; I highly doubt he's going to see his market value as equal to some never-was 30 year old or a disappointing 27 year old, six year veteran who barely puts up better numbers. Finally, a hometown discount seems out of the picture since I'm sure Kendrick and his agent will go for the dough and gladly point out that they are simply following the example set by their captain, who opted for 20 million a year for three years.

Personally, I don't know if Peter May is being ignorant or just setting it up so he can argue that Perkins is overpaid if/when he signs a deal bigger than 6 million a year but to address Perkins' contract situation and state that Perkins could see a five year contract anywhere in the wide range of 30 to 32 million seems disengenuous. To then add that an offer of 3 million a year is even remotely plausible moves the discussion from possibly ignorant to absolutely ridiculous. While I would hope that we could get Perk for just six million a year, I think it's going to take a lot of negotiating to get him and his agent down from around the 8 million a year level. I might not be a fan of the job Ainge has done here, but to outright lie and act like we have a shot at getting Kendrick Perkins for three million dollars a year is unfair and unprofessional.

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Trade winds are a-blowing and it looks like the Celtics are definitely looking to make a move. Let's take a look at the assets we have and see where we stand in terms of trade pieces and which player should be considered Celtics instead of "assets".

Paul Pierce : The capo. Career season. Soon to be a 20 million dollar man. Personally, I can't say that I'm not still interested in trading him but I think it's pretty much a horrific idea to sign a player to a three year extension and then ship him off. For that reason alone, Pierce is here for at least another year.

Wally Szczerbiak : I think I've made it pretty obvious that I don't like Wally but right now, in any deal, he's just a salary. He was injured this past season and didn't really show all that much. His value as a player is nil. While I would love to see him dealt, unless we can get a solid offer for him, I'm not sure we are really in the position to move him. I would hate to have to give up an extra young guy in a deal just because Wally's value is less than it could be right now.

Theo Ratliff : While next season he'd be more valuable as an expiring contract, Theo is our best trade asset. Also, as one of only three decent sized contracts on the Celtics ledger, Theo pretty much has to go since Pierce is untouchable and Wally is undervalued.

Brian Scalabrine : A terrible signing made to look worse than it really was after the fans turned on him. For the sake of everyone, we should try to move him. He's a solid 10th man. Kendrick Perkins : Roster-wise, with Theo as our best trade asset, it only makes sense that Perkins is untouchable. The only reason we would trade him is if contract extension talks don't go well and he insists on Dalembert money. If we can keep him for around 6 or 7 million a year, I'd sign him. If not, it is likely time to look to move Kendrick.

Al Jefferson : Big Al's value is pretty much crap right now. It was crap before the summer and after his uninspired summer league performance, it isn't much better. That being said, how much better is it going to get this season? Will Big Al finally break out or will it be another season of disappointment? While we all know that Wally can be a little more effective than he showed when healthy, there's no telling if Big Al will help his stock during the season, especially if Gomes surpasses him on the depth chart. And with Perkins signed to play in the middle, does Big Al make sense in the post alongside him? Right now, even though his value is low, Big Al has to be one of the main men on the block.

Sebastian Telfair : If we're getting Iverson, we might as well deal Bassy because I see no sense in having Telfair and AI in the backcourt together. Rondo makes a little more sense because of his defense but even then, it's be a ridiculously short backcourt. If we don't deal for AI, then I think we should keep Telfair. There are very few true PG's who match Telfair's upside and none of them are available. I can live with a season of growing pains for Bassy more than getting bogged down with a guy that we already know is only good and will never be great.

Tony Allen : Tony showed some versatility this season, playing the point, and once his court date is over with, his legal troubles shouldn't overshadow his ability. He could very well be a valuable trade asset but at the same time, he's also our best perimeter defender from last season (Rondo might take the crown from him this coming season). Unless we find a way to replace Allen's defense, I don't think he can be moved right now.

Delonte West : Of all the young guys, Delonte has made the most of his time on the court and has raised his trade value to a legitimate level. With Telfair and Rondo, we don't exactly need West anymore. Delonte is a Bobby Jackson type player, someone that everyone likes but nobody really needs. While he could back up Pierce at the two, I think Allen makes more sense because of his defense. I like West but I think if we're going to make a deal, he makes the most sense to be part of the offer. That being said, I highly doubt Danny is going to move him unless he's forced too.

Gerald Green : While he's the most likely to be dealt, I think he should be the last on our list. Pretty much since he's arrived, Green has been talked down by Ainge and I don't think he was ever a part of the plan, rather, he was simply an surprisingly useful asset that fell to Ainge. If we're trading for a shooting guard, Green makes the most sense to move as he would likely just be collecting spliters. But unless a Ray Allen-type is coming back, I think it would be a mistake to trade Gerald Green before we get to see what he can do in the second half of next season.

Ryan Gomes : Gomes! His summer league performance could have helped his stock and might have boosted him into being a guy that could be the difference between us getting a good or great player. Personally, I don't ever see him being a star so if we could move him as a package to get an All-Star caliber player, then I'd be for it. If all we're getting back is K-Mart or Boozer, forget about it.

Dwayne Jones, Allan Ray, Leon Power : I really don't see them having much, if any, trade value.

The prognosis: Right now, I'd look to move Theo Ratliff, Al Jefferson, and Delonte for a top notch player who could handle the power forward position. Ideally, the player would be the level of a Lamar Odom or Shawn Marion, and if we had to add Wally instead of Ratliff, I'd be for it. If we don't have to move Wally, I'd hold off on making a second deal until the trade deadline when Wally should hopefully be healthy, and we'd have a better handle on Gerald Green and his ability.

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The requirement of the ranking are at least three seasons at the helm. Also, we'll only be judging their recent work so guys like Elgin Baylor won't be hurt by their years of idiocy while Jerry West won't be able to point to his Laker days to cement his resume.

#1: Randy Pfund/Pat Riley (Miami Heat): It pains me to dub the leader of the showtime Lakers as the the top GM but he has done a great job building the Heat. They were on the decline five years ago (36 wins in 2002 and then 25 in 2003) but they put together a nice roster, good enough to make the Shaq deal a reality. Even without the Shaq deal, I was a fan of the Wade/Butler/Odom team from 2004.

#2: Rod Thorn (NJ Nets): I'm not sold on Josh Boone but grabbing Marcus Williams and Hassan Adams were two very nice moves. The Antoine Wright deal is all the more confusing after he disappointed last season. Still, Thorn has built an annual contender in New Jersey. Money issues cost him a key piece of the puzzle (Kenyon Martin) but I think the Nets are better with Vince anyway. If they can move Richard Jefferson for another big man, they could find themselves back in the conference finals.

#3: Geoff Petrie (Sacramento Kings): The Artest deal vaulted him back to the top. The Chris Webber deal was somewhat suspect. While Chris was overpaid, dealing him for three overpaid PF's didn't make a whole ton of sense either. Still, getting Bonzi Wells and Ron Artest this past season was a great move, and holding out and not giving Bonzi a huge deal is the right move. They have Kevin Martin to take over if Bonzi leaves. The one flaw that still hurts him and the Kings is his drafting over the past two years. Quincy Douby and Francisco Garcia were both bad selections and letting Gerald Wallace go in the expansion draft wasn't the wisest of moves. Still, Petrie is reloading the Kings for another run while never slipping below .500. He might be a blockbuster deal away (is it time to move Brad Miller?) from getting the Kings back to the Western Conference Finals.

#4: Larry Harris (Milwaukee Bucks): He hasn't been perfect (he overpaid for Bobby Simmons) but Harris has made some great moves to get the Bucks back into the playoffs. The Bogut/Villain frontcourt should be very interesting and Harris still had Magloire as a trade chip to add more help to the roster. The team could be under the cap next season which should help them add the final piece to the puzzle and get them contending for more than just a playoff spot.

#5: Elgin Baylor (LA Clippers): Picking up Elton Brand for the #2 pick in the draft was a great move. Being lucky enough to have Kevin McHale offer up Sam Cassell in return for Marko Jaric was amazing. While he overpaid for Cuttino Mobley, I'd argue that if ever a team NEEDED to overpay for someone, it was the Clippers because they needed to show that they weren't the cheapskates that they'd been over their entire existance. Elgin's grabbed Livingston, Kaman, and the promising Yaroslav Korolev in the draft. But this isn't to say he's been perfect. He traded for Elton Brand and then turned around and draft two PF's in the next draft (Wilcox and Ely). The Andre Miller deal blew up in his face and the team became such a disaster that they lost out on Lamar Odom. I can't believe he fell for Tim Thomas' playoff act in Phoenix and signed him. The team still doesn't have a legit backup big man and still doesn't have a lockdown perimeter defender that any and every team in the West needs. Elgin's done a great job putting together this team but he still has a couple moves to make before they are truly contenders.

#6: RC Buford (San Antonio Spurs): I'm going to be honest. This guy hasn't done much. He inherited Timmy D. but other than that he's basically just re-upped guys who other people acquired. Even Manu, whom he signed, was drafted by someone else. Still, he's made a couple of good deals (getting Turkoglu for Ferry, Nazr for Rose) and kept the team intact. This offseason and next will show what he's made of. The Spurs showed that they need some new life injected in them and so far, Buford's signed Jacque Vaughn and traded Rasho for Eric Williams. If he isn't careful, he could be the guy lets the Spurs decline to a solid playoff team instead of a championship contender.

#7: Donnie Nelson (Dallas Mavericks): Four years ago, Don's son was named GM and he's done a good job as the front man. While I think his Dad is still calling the shots, Donnie's reign has been a very solid one with one exception. Apparently losing Steve Nash wasn't the greatest decision, no matter how much Mark Cuban tries to spin it (claiming that the Mavs wouldn't be where they were without Erick Dampier). Dealing the Antoine/Antawn duo for Jason Terry, Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, and a future first round pick was a great move. (Dumping Raef for Antoine was also a steal). Josh Howard was a steal and taking a flyer on Desagana Diop turned out to be just what the Mavs needed. The Marquis Daniels signing is pretty much wiped out since they dealt him for Austin Croshere but they may have replaced him with Maurice Ager in the draft so who knows... Either way, the Mavs are looking good as contenders for a long time coming.

#8: Joe Dumars (Detroit Pistons): Talk about an up-and-down five years. He was the toast of the town upon building his championship team but then proved completely incapable of maintaining it. He found a way to make the Darko pick look even worse by dumping the Serbian Gangster for Kelvin Cato? He lost Mehmet Okur and Mike James, who were key bench components. Either Okur or Darko could have filled in for Ben Wallace but since they are both gone, Dumars had to sign Nazr Mohammed. The Flip Murray signing, however, was a nice move and adds some punch to the bench. Amir Johnson was also a steal at the end of the 2005 draft. Dumars hasn't been perfect but he's making the right moves to keep the Pistons at the top of the Eastern Conference.

#9: Jon Paxson (Chicago Bulls): Jon gets high marks for what he's done but he is far from finished. While he's done an impressive job rebuilding, I still think there are some pieces missing. And if you are paying an aging big man like Ben Wallace big bucks, you better add those pieces quickly. Right now, Paxson is the hardest guy to place. He could move to the top of the line or the Bulls could falther or just be mediocre and Paxson would essentially be a glorified Memphis-era Jerry West. A lot of it depends on this years draft and how well Ty Thomas and Thabo Sefalosha perform. For me, the Bulls are the most interesting team to watch this season because lord knows how all that talent is going to fit together.

#10: Rick Sund (Seattle Supersonics): The man moved Vin Baker which basically makes him at the very least, a one-hit wonder. Sort of the Dexy's Midnight Run of GM's. Grabbing Earl Watson and Chris Wilcox were key moves which helped the Sonics close the season at 14 - 10 and has things looking up. He has a tough decision to make with Rashard Lewis and Chris Wilcox which could affect his rating but right now, he's done a very good job building this team around Ray Allen. I'm not completely sold on his project center fetish (Swift, Petro, and Sene in the last three years) but those guys are solid picks. If the Sonics were in the East, they'd likely be a playoff team.

#11: Ernie Grunfeld (Washington Wizards): Ernie had an advantage since he took over a team with cap space and was able to steal Gilbert Arenas away from Golden St. To be honest, after that move, I'm not all that impressed with Ernie's work. Was Antawn Jamison really worth Stackhouse, Laettner, and the #5 pick? Apparently not since he draft some Euro-PF this season (Oleksiy Pecherov). Antonio Daniels, Etan Thomas, and Brendan Haywood aren't exactly the greatest trio to invest long term deals on. Ernie's basically had one good move and a bushel of questionable calls.

#12: Jerry West (Memphis Grizzlies): While the Battier for Rudy Gay/Stro Swift deal was great, other than that, West has been pretty bad as the Grizz's GM. And I don't mean bad meaning good, I mean bad meaning mediocre. His drafting hasn't worked out. He inherited Pau Gasol but then spent a draft pick on Drew Gooden as if two soft perimeter PF's should be able to complement one another. His run of Troy Bell, Dahntay Jones, and Hakim Warrick isn't exactly helping either. West did help Pat Riley in Miami by dealing Jason Williams and James Posey for Eddie Jones. And then there's always Brian Cardinal. West's legacy in Memphis now rests on the shoulders of Rudy Gay. He is the only player on that roster with the potential to come in and lift the Grizzlies into the second round. The vets (Jones, Mike Miller, Damon Stoudamire) aren't going to do it and neither are the young guys (Swift, Warrick, Jones).

#13: Carroll Dawson (Houston Rockets): Dawson should be banned from making draft day deals. Over the last five years he's traded: Stro Swift, Rudy Gay, Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong for Eddie Griffin and Shane Battier. Getting T-Mac for Franchise and Mobley was good and lucking out to get Yao Ming makes any GM look smart. Trading Rafer Alston for Mike James was a disaster. But John Lucas might turn out to be a find and Luther head is solid. If T-Mac can stay healthy, the Rockets could make some noise but they'll need to improve their power forward position if they really want a shot at the Finals.

#14: Danny Ainge (Boston Celtics): Draft night moved him up in my books (even though I wanted Rudy Gay over Telfair) but there's still time for him to screw everything up, which he has a knack for doing. I'm not sure if the owners are partially to blame but his fluctuation from rebuilding (trading 'Toine) to needing to be relevant (trading for 'Toine) is frustrating. And since I'm not as wowed by his drafting (which is admittedly very good but not as great as people like to act) as others, his stock isn't very high with me.

#15: Mitch Kupchak (LA Lakers): Relied on Shaq to do his job and recruit Karl Malone and Gary Payton, even though neither was a good fit for the triangle at that point in their career. When they backfired, he ended up having to deal Shaq. His attempts to build around Kobe haven't been that great. Dealing Caron Butler in a sign-and-trade for Kwame Brown turned out disastrous and none of his other moves have been that great. When you're best move is drafting Luke Walton with the 32nd pick, it means you probably haven't done much good in five years.

#16: Kevin O'Connor (Utah Jazz): Odds are not looking good that Ronnie Brewer's skills will translate in the NBA, I mean take a look at Kevin O'Connor's last five years of drafting: Raul Lopez, Ryan Humphrey, Aleksander Pavlovic, Kris Humphries, Kirk Snyder, and then trading up to NOT take Chris Paul (going with Deron Williams). The one thing he has going for him is that he got Jarron Collins, Mo Williams, and CJ Miles in the second round, although he couldn't keep Williams from jetting. O'Connor also overpaid for Carlos Boozer and apparently decided to retire the shooting guard position in honor of Jeff Hornacek since the Jazz haven't had a top 2-guard since Horny hung 'em up. All this being said, Williams, Harpring, AK47, Boozer, and Okur isn't THAT bad of a lineup. And despite O'Connors poor draft history, I think Brewer should be a solid pro. Still, O'Connor had cap space and high lottery picks and built a .500 team.

#17: Billy King (Philadelphia 76ers): Billy King is the anti-Ernie Grunfeld. He's made one bad string of moves which pretty much ruined his reputation. King was actually putting together a team that fit around Iverson (defensive minded big men (Brian Skinner, Sam Dalembert, Corliss Williamson) and athletic young swingman who could defend (Iguodala), a shooter to feed off of AI's drives (Korver). All they really needed was another defensive-minded guard and they would have been on their way to rebuilding the team A.I. brought to the Finals. But then he dealt for Webber, who was the last guy you'd want to team with Iverson. And then he overpaid Korver and Dalembert. And then the Sixers stopped winning. To be fair, the Korver and Dalembert moves wouldn't be as bad if not for Webber. Chris was just the anti-thesis of what the Sixers needed, which was a Ben Wallace type player. King was essentially a couple of role players away from giving A.I. the squad he needed to make another run but is now, instead, having to figure out if the ship is salvageable or if the Sixers would be better off without A.I. Personally, I really like his draft this season. Carney and Jones could help out now. If they could ship Webber out for some defensive help, King might actually be able to get the Sixers back in the hunt.

#19: Isiah Thomas (NY Knicks): If you look at the team he inherited, it was terrible and overpaid. The team he's built is talented... and terrible and overpaid. And any GM that looks at his combustible squad and thinks, "What this team needs is Kenyon Martin!" should be fired on the spot. The only logic behind that must be Isiah thinking two negatives make a positive (but three negatives are back to equalling a negative) so, realizing he has about seven negatives on his roster, he thinks one more will give him an even number of negatives which would then equal a positive. If that even qualifies as "logic". Still, there's part of me that remembers NBA Live '95 and thinks that somehow, some way, you can make this all work. In fact, I think you can make a pretty good team out of the pieces in NY. Say what you want about Renaldo Balkman, but he was exactly what this team needed; a tough minded guy who doesn't care about points and loves to play defense. Mardy Collins isn't a star but he too is a guy that fits. His point guard skills and defense make him a nice complement to Stephon. While Isiah has made some horrific signings and bad trades, his young core from the last two drafts of Frye, Lee, Balkman, Collins, and Nate Robinson is pretty impressive. Jamal Crawford is a nice enough talent and Jalen Rose and Mo Taylor are solid coming off of the bench and expiring deals to boot. And with Frye, Lee, and Balkman handling the dirty work, Eddy Curry can focus on scoring. The problem, of course, is that that Knicks also have Marbury, Francis, Jerome James, Quentin Richardson, and Malik Rose. If the Knicks could somehow get a true PG and move Steph to the 2, things could work out.

#20: Larry Bird (Indiana Pacers): ECF's. EC Semi's. First round. Jermaine O'Neal superstar to Jermaine O'Neal trade bait. Clearly, this is defintion of what you don't want to see happen in your first three years as a GM. Larry Bird signed Jermaine O'Neal and fired Isiah Thomas at the start of his second reign in Indy. After that, it was all downhill. He lost Brad Miller for Scot Pollard. He traded Al Harrington for Stephen Jackson who proceeded to be the third man in the Artest brawl which was the reason it escalated from just crazy Ron-Ron in the stands to an all-out riot. He overpaid Jamaal Tinsley. He then traded Ron Artest for Peja, who upped and left. On the bright side, the Pacers did get a trade exception out of it but I think Artest is worth more than a seven million dollar trade exception. But Larry has made a bit of a resurgance in the last months. I actually like the Shawne Williams pick (although if you are building for the future, why not take Green over Granger last year?) and dealing Croshere for Marquis Daniels was a great move. If he can use the trade exception to get a big man to team with JO, he'd move up the list but as of now, the Pacers are completely falling apart on Larry's watch.

#18: Billy Knight (Atlanta Hawks): Knight has done a decent job of building a team in three years. The problem is that this team should be a whole hell of a lot better. Drafting Josh Smith was tremendous. Drafting Josh Childress, not so much. Joe Johnson is overpaid but he is still a very good and underrated player. I don't even have an issue with him giving up Boris Diaw in the deal but losing their first round pick (top three protected) next year? Horrible. Marvin Williams? Could be very good but probably won't ever be Chris Paul. Still, despite his flubs, I like the Hawks. Claxton is a solid PG, joe Johnson is a star, Josh Smith will be a star this season, Zaza is a good big man. Shelden Williams was a reach and I can't say I'm a big fan. The Hawks don't look very close to breaking free of the curse of Isaiah Rider. They haven't made the playoff since they dealt Steve Smith to Portland for the infamous malcontent formerly known as J.R.

#21: Kevin McHale (Minnesota Timberwolves): Over the past five years, McHale has done next to nothing to make his team better. While the Knicks could make a couple of moves to fix themselves, the Wolves are in complete disarray. And this is coming from someone who thought they actually made out in the Szczerbiak deal. Also, reports are that the initial deal that McHale wanted to make was just Mark Blount for Kandiman straight up, which would have been one of the worst deals imaginable. An expiring deal for Mark Blount? McHale's owner saved him from an even worse fate. Isiah put his faith in Stephon Marbury, which turned out to be a mistake. McHale has the right guy in Garnett and STILL can't win. The fact that Garnett is mentioned in trade rumors is a sure sign of the horrific job McHale has done. KG should be untouchable. Drafting Randy Foye and signing Mike James doesn't make much sense either. How many overrated PG's do the Wolves need? They have James, Jaric, and Hudson all eating up cap space. James, Foye, and Ricky Davis is your backcourt? So what, KG's going to get ten shots a game this year? McHale has done a horrific job and has essentially wasted the career of the Big Ticket.

The Rest: Bryan Colangelo (Phoenix Suns) is making Toronto a very interesting team but is it a very good team. Can Bargnani and Bosh coexist? Steve Patterson (Portland Trailblazers) made a ton of moves on draft day and added some real talent in Portland. He still has to find a way to get rid of Darius Miles though. Otis Smith (Orlando Magic) made a great deal for the Magic (stealing Darko and Carlos Arroyo for nothing) but his drafting skills seem questionable (JJ Redick, Fran Vazquez). Jeff Bower (New Orleans) had a nice 2005 but I'm not sold on his 2006. Chandler and Peja are frail. I don't mind Tyson but I can't stand Peja. Taking two questionable big men in Cedric Simmons and Hilton Armstrong also is questionable. They gave away Kirk Snyder. I'm just not convinced that Paul, Mason, Peja, West, and Chandler is going to get the Hornets to the playoffs in the West. Mark Warkentien (Denver Nuggets( replaced Kiki in Denver and has resigned 'Melo, traded Powe to the C's for a future pick and literally done nothing else. Danny Ferry (Cleveland Cavs) had a great draft day (Shannon Brown, Daniel Gibson, Marcus Vinicius) but the Larry Hughes signing didn't work and needs to be cleaned up. Bernie Bickerstaff (Charlotte Bobcats) has done a good job but, man, I'm not sold on May, Okafor, or Morrison as of yet. Not that they don't have talent, I'm just not sold on them. How he handles soon-to-be free agent Gerald Wallace should be interesting.

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

    The one thing that I never want to hear again is someone saying that the Celtics need to make a big deal so that they can be relevant again. This simply makes no sense. It's like a high school girl putting out so that people will like her. It will be quick, something she doesn't want to do, and in the end won't accomplish what she had hoped for. In reality, relevance is just the new catchphrase for desperation for some fans. Acts of desperation rarely, if ever, pan out. Vin Baker, Rodney Rogers, Dominique Wilkins, these are the acts of desperate GM's. The current desperation plan of Allen Iverson will likely be a Rodney Rogers type move; good for the short term but ultimately regrettable in the long term.

    The Celtics were a team at the crossroads. Resigning Pierce to a huge money deal put them closer to the Win Now road but it didn't necessarily eliminate the Build With Youth option. However, a deal for Iverson would mean that they needed to go 100% to former avenue. Iverson would make them relevant but unless Perkins and Al Jefferson matured faster than they've shown possible, it doesn't make the Celtics contenders. If the C's want to truly make a run, they'll likely have to go after the best available PF as well as getting A.I..

    Now all this being said, I'm thinking that the best option is most likely standing pat until the trade deadline or next offseason. My hope is that in the second half of the year, Telfair, Green, and Pierce will have established themselves as a very nice backcourt. We then will have a better gauge on Jefferson and will head into the offseason with some pieces to hopefully acquire a better big man than Kenyon Martin or Carlos Boozer. While the Celtics might not be "relevant", I feel like they'll be on the horizon ala the Orlando Magic this past season. I still don't think Danny is going to make the moves to put us over the top but I don't see any available moves this offseason putting us over either.

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In my post about the Cavs (and in the Touchables column), I mentioned a three-way deal that could help out the Celtics. Say the Celtics dealt Ratliff and Wally for Chris Webber. (Philly gets Ratliff, Gooden, Snow, Jackson, conditional Cleveland pick for Webber and Korver; Cleveland gets Wally and Korver for Gooden, Snow, Jackson, and a pick.) The particulars have to be worked out but this is a win-win-win for everyone involved.
    The C's get a versatile big man who could play center or power forward and would allow both of our big guys to get solid minutes. This deal also opens up a guard spot so the young guns can get some run with Pierce. Best of all, Webber's deal only has two years (same as Ratliff's) so in a couple of years we'll be sitting pretty with cap space to resign our guys and maybe go after someone else without fear of the luxury tax.

    Ideally, we look to grab another big man like Lo Wright or Scot Pollard to fill out the roster and our 2006 roster looks like this:

• C: Perkins, Wright, Jones
• PF: Webber, Jefferson, Gomes, Powe
• SF: Pierce, Green, Scalabrine
• SG: West, Allen, Ray
• PG: Telfair, Rondo

    While this isn't as exciting as Pierce and AI, this tandem could actually work well. While Webber may be a ball hawk, he's no worse than Antoine, whom Pierce played well with. Unlike Antoine, Webber plays in the post. His ability to run the offense through the post should open up Pierce. With defenses focusing on the inside-outside game of Truth and C-Webb, the floor opens up for everyone else. The front court rotation is Perkins, Wright, Webber, Jefferson with Gomes switching between the 3 and 4. Telfair and Rondo handle the point with West getting some spot minutes. Pierce, West, Allen, Gomes fill out the swing positions with Veal getting some minutes here and there.

    This doesn't make us instant contenders but it allow us to give our young guys minutes so we can see what we have. We fight for a playoffs spot (and probably make it if everyone is healthy) . Even if we don't, we should have a very good picture of where we stand for the 2007 offseason when we'll have a huge expiring deal in Chris Webber.

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Paul Pierce wants an All-Star. Paul Pierce has a player option on his contract after this season. If the Celtics wants Paul Pierce to be happy, they better do as he says. All that being what it is, who exactly can the Celtics get? Who is on the block and how much would the Celtics have to give up in order to get them? And most importantly, who is actually going to help us win? These are a few names that we could look to acquire to appease Mr. Pierce.
To start, though, it needs to be emphasized that these guys are The Touchables. Currently off-limit guys like Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, Shaq and the like aren't considered for this list.

Lamar Odom: My much hoped-for Lamar for Wally deal doesn't seem very likely now that the Lake Show signed Vlad Rad. I can't see any team thinking that Wally and Radmonovic and Kwame Brown could equal a legitimate frontcourt. If we wait until August and deal Ratliff, it would likely take a couple (if not three) of our young guys along with Theo to bring Lamar back to New England. What combination of West, Perkins, or Gomes would make it happen? I think we might be able to work something out but it seems very unlikely.

Shawn Marion: Marion's pretty much lived on the trading block but I don't really see us being able to get him unless, again, we give up a couple of young guys in a deal with Theo. Even then, I don't really see us having a deal that would interest the Suns. While he is "touchable", I don't think he attainable for what we have to offer. The Suns are looking to win before Nash falls apart so I doubt they'd be interested in our young guys.

Allen Iverson: The bottom line of the overhyped megadeal is that we'd have to give up too much for too small of a window of success.

Chris Webber: I'm actually a fan of Webber, especially since his contract only has two years left on it. We could move Wally and Theo for him or make a deal for him and Dalembert. It's possible but unlikely and, like the Iverson deal, gives us too small a window of opportunity for the deal to make sense. Unless we can absolutely steal him from Philly and not give up any of our youngs would I be interested. (i.e, a three team deal of Wally to the Cavs, Theo, Gooden, and the Minny 1st round pick to Philly, Webber to us) As for the Haitian Sensation, Sam Dalembert, he has a trade kicker which means dealing for him makes his bad contract even worse. He's more of a impact on the ledger than the court so we can't really afford to get him.

Baron Davis: He is a borderline Untouchable now that Derek Fisher is in Utah. He's also unnecessary now that we have Telfair. Pretty much doesn't make sense at all for either team to make this deal. Likewise for Jason Richardson.

Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy: On the bright side, we'd get rid of Scalabrine in this deal (He, Wally, and Minnesota #1 for Troy and Mike). On the downside, we get two guys who I believe are vastly overpaid. That being said, we'd get two starters for one. Granted, two starters are coming from a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 11 years but still... I see a deal like this being fairly possible which scares me. I think Murphy is overrated and Dunleavy has been a bad pick in a terrible draft, which is a feat in its own right. It's not a horrific deal though. It would make us a solid playoff team but I'm not sure if we would have the defense on the court or the flexibility to make any more deals to put us over the top.

Carlos Boozer: Ah, Utah. A team that whines about spending too much money and then trades for Derek Fisher, a seven million per year backup PG. I can't imagine they are dumb enough to move AK47 but Boozer and Okur are likely attainable. Since they are set with Andrei at the small forward spot, my guess is that we'd have to swing a deal with Ratliff's deal and a young player. Boozer averaged 20 and 10 in his last month of action but the injuries were a problem. Okur was fairly inconsistent but would be suited to be the third star (which he would be in Boston). I'm torn on Carlos but if we could get him for Theo and one or two of our lesser young 'uns, I'd have to consider the deal. Okur might only cost us one of our young aong with Theo which I'd do if it was Perkins or Allen.

Kenyon Martin: The first thing people say about Kenyon is that he's a jerk. Maybe. The second thing they say is that he needs an uptempo team and a PG to help him reach him potential. Ideally, that's what we have. Sebastian Telfair is no Jason Kidd but he's a true point guard and the C's will hopefully try to get out on the break more this next season. The next thing that people say is that Kenyon is overpaid and overinjured which is true and the reason why we shouldn't consider dealing for him.

Antawn Jamison: Washington needs to deal the other Antoine but I'm not sure if we have anything of interest. Furthermore, I'm not interested in Jamison. I just listed this here to point out that I think improving upon Jamison is the move that the Wizards need to make if they want to do more than just compete for the second round.

Antoine Walker: WHAT?! It won't happen, nor would I want it to, but Antoine has chemistry with Pierce and his contract isn't as bad as I once thought. It has a team option in the fourth year so it might only have three more years for less than 30 million on it. He also would be cheap to acquire. But, I repeat, it won't happen, nor would I want it to.

Rashard Lewis: A Wally and West for Lewis and Swift deal could work but it is a big risk for Boston. Will Rashard resign? Is Swift any good? Most importantly, how does it make us any better? It's another high school project and sub-All-Star SF so I can't see it being a deal that would make Pierce feel any more comfortable with our chances.

Steve Francis: No. Honestly, there's nothing that really interests me on the NY roster.

Richard Jefferson: We'd likely have to give up Wally and one of our youngs for Richard. Again, I don't see him being a difference maker. We'd be better with him instead of Wally but not THAT much better.

Jamaal Magloire: The rumor is that Magloire is headed to Washington but all I can see them offering is Antonio Daniels and either Etan Thomas or Brendan "Don't Call Me Brenda" Haywood. We have the talent to match that deal but we don't have the smaller contracts to make the deal feasible. We'd have to include Bobby Simmons in the deal and give up Wally, Scalabrine, and one of our young guys. I'm not sure if Milwaukee, who's looking for a backup defensive big man and a perimeter defender would be interested in that offer nor am I convinced that Magloire, who could leave via free agency after the season, is worth it.

Larry Hughes: Hughes is probably the worst choice out of the lot. We don't really need a shooting guard, let alone one that is currently struggling to gel with a star and usually misses a couple dozen games a year. Larry should be dealt but my guess is that Denver is the most likely destination.

Zach Randolph: The Celtics have an inside track on scouting Zach with ex-Blazers Ratliff and Telfair on the squad so we should know exactly how good he is and how questionable his attitude is. The question would be whether they were really all that interested in Wally since they have Martell Webster at the small forward spot. Whether or not Zach is overpaid or not doesn't even factor into this discussion because I just don't see us being able to convince Portland's trade-happy interim GM to make another deal with us.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim: I've never been a fan of 'Reef. He's not bad but I just don't see him making anyone a winner. Unless we can get him for scraps, I wouldn't bother.

Josh Smith: OK, Josh might not be "touchable" but I think he's the perfect fit. I'd be willing to move Perkins and Allen or West to get him. The kid's going to be a star. I think he, Pierce, and Telfair running the wings would be a sight to see.

Conclusion : Getting a high caliber All-Star is going to be pretty damn difficult for Danny. Odds are, we'd be better off waiting until midseason when our young guys will, hopefully, have shown something and Wally will be healthy. If we make a move now, my guess is that it would be for a power forward ala Boozer or Murphy. If we deal a young guy, I think it will most likely be Gerald Green, which I think would be a regrettable mistake. It should be interesting to see what Danny can pull off because, as he said, he isn't done dealing yet. (I'm not sure if that was a threat or a promise but either way, I'm on the edge of my seat).

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No really, pretty much half of the Celtics roster is playing in Vegas tomorrow. If we sign "The Show" Powe, then eight members of the fifteen man roster will be on our summer league team.

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While Ainge is promising and fans are clamoring for another big move, I don't think a trade is in the cards. I'd like to see if we could get Lamar Odom in a deal for Wally Szczerbiak or maybe investigate getting one of Seattle's big men for Delonte West, but as of now, I believe the roster is set. Or should be. Danny has said he's not done dealing but he's made one solid deal so, with his trade history, I wouldn't push his luck.

Assuming Pierce isn't going anywhere, Wally is our biggest trade piece and I can't see many deals that make sense. Drew Gooden? No thanks. Jamal Crawford and Malik Rose or Q Richardson? I don't see Jamal fitting in now that we have Telfair running the point. Q's contract is garbage. Would Indiana be willing to give up Granger or Shawne Williams in a deal? Probably not although Bird is pretty horrific so who knows. Maybe he likes Wally for Sarunas, Granger and Croshere's expiring deal. The big names, KG, JO, Marion, Richard Jefferson are likely out of reach.

Honestly, I just don't see a worthwhile deal shaping up and if we wait a year, Theo Ratliff's contract will be expiring and Wally's contract will be one year shorter. Also, he'd hopefully not be coming off of end-of-season surgery which would make it easier to move him. This is shaping up to be 2003 all over again. Danny might feel he needs to make a move (like he did with Walker) but he would be better off waiting a year so that our assets have more trade value.

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

    Two team I thought would almost definitely be making a draft day deal seem to be the quietest when it comes to rumors. The Bulls rumor mill has come to almost a complete stop while the Timberwolves few whispers have been drowned out by the voices of conjecture coming from Boston, Portland, Atlanta, and Houston.

    And let's not forget the once and current Hornets. The Bobcats had a deal with Toronto rumored once but other then that people seem to assume that Jordan is going to continue following Bickerstaff's strategy of building through the draft. New Orleans has two picks and a two guard that many teams would love (JR Smith). A deal involving Smith to Dallas for Marquis Daniels might make sense. Also, the Clippers were said to be looking to dump Corey Maggette for a lotto pick. Where'd those rumors go?

    Much like Keyser Sozer and devil, the biggest moves NBA GM's make on draft days are the ones the press never thought existed. For all the promises people report, many of the actual ones fly under the radar. The biggest deals always seem to pop up out of the blue. So while I would expect one, maybe two, of the rumored deals to go down, my guess is that the real stories out of the NBA draft are going to be transactions that nobody saw coming.

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looking through the various mock drafts, here's what people have us taking:
Marcus Williams: DraftExpress, Realgm, Andy Katz (ESPN), CollegeHoops.net, Fanball, Killer Crossover, Okayplayer message board
Rudy Gay: Chad Ford (official mock), Ian Thomsen (SI), Chris Ekstrang (SI)
Andrea Bargnani: Dime, Sportsline
Randy Foye: Inside Hoops, Probasketball news

Despite people's assertions that Ainge is the master of the smokescreen, Danny has usually been fairly forthcoming with his picks. He expressed his interest in Banks and Perkins fairly early and showed his hand on Robert Swift as well as Al Jefferson fairly early. While I think it would be a major mistake to pass on Rudy Gay, Danny has passed on an uber-athlete for a player that he felt was a bigger need (Big Al over Josh Smith). Right now, it's looking like Marcus Williams is the most likely option. I really want Rudy but wouldn't be stunned if, like Andy Katz said, we passed on him to take his UConn teammate Williams.

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's never too early to plan for the summer and this year the Celtics, once again, have too many young faces for the roster spaces in the Las Vegas Summer league. The NBA only allows five NBA players on a summer league team which means that one of our eager eight is going to have to sit. The options are: Kendrick Perkins, Delonte West, Tony Allen, Al Jefferson, Dwayne Jones, Gerald Green, Orien Greene and Ryan Gomes.

The Inked Ins:
For me, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes and Tony Allen should all be signed in in ink right now. No penciling them in, they need to be in the summer league. Green clearly needs playing time in any situation. Gomes has shown his ability to play the four but I think he could benefit from a summer holding down the SF position. Meanwhile, Tony needs to work on his outside shot in game situations and also could work in at the point since it seems like Doc thinks he might be able to get spot minutes there.

The Obvious Out:
Defense is Kendrick Perkins' game and that is something rarely seen in the summer. Also, with his shoulder acting up, I think it would be better to give him some rest rather than rushing him into the exhibition games.

The Confidence Men:
This section varies. First, there's Al the Ankle. If Jefferson's joints are still questionable by the time summer roles around, I'd give his trip to Vegas some serious second thoughts. I'd rather not put him in jeopardy of another injury for some summer league games. While we have to be confident with Al's health, we might already be confident enough in the game of Delonte the Dimedropper. While Delonte could definitely use the practice on his handle and defense, he needs the summer league less than anyone. He's shown what he can do and there's not much else to prove. One thing that could be beneficial would be making him the captain of the team which could help him work on his leadership abilities and force him to really control the game while running the show. Finally there's Dwayne and Orien. They don't get silly nicknames because we don't know if we want to spend that much time on players that won't be on the roster next season. If we draft a PG, I'd be stunned if Orien had a roster spot. If we draft a big man, Dwayne's likely the odd man out. Of course, if Rudy Gay falls or we take Rodney Carney, then all bets are off.

The Verdict?: Right now, I'd say: Green, Gomes, Allen, Big Al, Orien/Jones (and if we draft a SF, then we stick with Greene).

As for the rest of the roster, it's way to early to tell who'll be drafted and who'll be left out but at first look, I'd invite these five to join our five (plus our draft choice):
Chris Quinn (Notre Dame), Kenny Adeleke (Hartford), Viktor Keirou (Russia), Marcus Haislip, Brandon Williams. (Not sure how it works inviting vets but Haislip has been overseas while Williams was in the NBDL)

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whlie I'm not a fan of the instant gratification thinking that many Celtics fans hold, it is still something that needs to be addressed. Is trying to win now a viable option? Can the deals make sense? What way works best? If we had to build a team to win now, here's what I'd look to do.

Hold onto Gerald Green: First and foremost, we do not deal a potential star. The Celtics have enough other options to make deals and moving Green would be another in the long list of regrets that the Celtics have compiled ever since Chris Wallace first came aboard. Unless you can get a bonafide, healthy superstar for Raef and Green, I wouldn't move him.

Forget about: K-Mart, Boozer, KG, Jermaine O'Neal, Baron: We would have to give up too much to get KG and O'Neal (if we even have a chance to get them at all), and the rest of those guys don't help enough for what they are paid. K-Mart's a headcase, Boozer is solid but vastly overpaid and Baron is injury-prone and tends to monopolize the ball which is exactly why we had to deal Ricky. To use him most effectively, we'd have to move Paul to the 3 and bring Delonte as a complement at the two ala David Wesley back in Baron's days in New Orleans. Baron is the most likely of the bunch but I just dont see him being the best option.

Deal Wally, Veal and the #7 for Lamar Odom, Luke Walton and the #26 pick: Wally and #7 for Odom and the #26 are the bast components of this deal and what else goes in is definitely open for debate. In my opinon, Odom would be perfect for the Celtics. He is a guy that can run the offense from the post and free up Paul to focus on scoring. Odom in Boston would be like Odom in Miami where he put up 18/10/4. I think a Lamar/Pierce combination could remind a lot of people of the Antoine/Pierce combo, save for the fact that Lamar isn't in love with the three point line. As for the picks, this draft is so all over the place that, like 2001, the guys who goes at #26 - 30 could be as good or better than the players who go #7 to #10.

Deal Big Al and Delonte West for Josh Smith and Salim Stoudamire: If there is a way to work this without dealing Delonte, I'd be for it. I just don't know if Gomes or a future pick along with Jefferson would be enough to get Josh. I've promoted Josh Smith ad nauseum but I think this move is perfect for the C's. Smith's defense is very good and he would be a perfect complement to Pierce and Odom. He also stepped up his game in the second half of the season (15/7/4 with a steal and 3 blocks per game) showing that he's more than ready to take the third year leap and start contributing in 2006. While Salim is no Delonte, his strength is exactly what we need. With the offense running through Odom, Salim's lack of true point abilities would be covered up and his three point stroke would be deadly to any team trying to double team the first three options of Pierce, Odom, and Smith. West could also work in the point spot with Odom in town but I'd be willing to move him if it meant getting J-Smooth.

Tony Allen for Mo Williams: Mo solidies the point guard position. The Bucks have been looking for a wing defender which is what Tony Allen specializes in. I'd be willing to toss in a future lotto protected pick in this deal but would hold off unless we could agree to a long term, mid-level extension with Williams before we made the deal. He's a free agent at the end of the season. I'd explore other options for PG but I'm not sure what we'd legitimately be able to ask for when offering Raef, Dickau, Tony, Gomes and/or future picks.

Hold onto Raef: While dealing Raef seems like a no-brainer for the Celtics, it's also a no-brainer that other teams shouldn't trade for him. We'd either need to package Raef with Gerald for a questionable veteran or we'd have to deal him for a couple of guys with longer contracts (Richardson/James, Jaric/Hassell, etc.) Either way, the deals don't make sense, especially when Raef can work as a decent complement in the middle to Odom. In a year, his value should be better since his contract is a year shorter. We're not going to get anyone better than him as a big man off the bench so we might as well hold on for another year.

Draft the best player available at 26: Kyle Lowry, Shawne Williams, Marcus Vinicius, PJ Tucker, James White, whoever.

Use the LLE on Aaron Williams: A solid defensive minded big man who can fill the backup four and five spots.

Use the MLE on Matt Harpring: Harpring adds toughness and defense off the bench. I highly doubt we'll be able to lure most of the big names on the market but I think Matt could be someone we'd have a legitimate shot at signing.

Figure out who the next coach will be. : And if that coach isn't available right now, then keep Doc around. In my opinon, the only thing worse than keeping Doc is bringing in another stop-gap coach. I'd even be willing to go two more years of Doc if it meant we could bring in Stan Van Gundy when his contract with the Heat was done in 2008.

The Lineup:
PG: Mo Williams/Salim Stoudamire/Dan Dickau
SG: Paul Pierce/Matt Harpring/Gerald Green
SF: Josh Smith/Luke Walton
PF: Lamar Odom/Ryan Gomes
C: Kendrick Perkins/Raef Lafrentz/Aaron Williams
(add in Dwayne Jones or Orien Greene and whoever we take at #26)

I think this lineup would get us into the playoffs next season. With a number of draft picks owed to us and Raef's and Dickau's more manageable contract, we could add someoen else next offseason to build on the success of 2006.

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

     So where do the Celtics stand? That my friends, is exactly the question. Danny Ainge has three options this season: go for it now, blow it up now, or hold off one year before making a decision. The three schools of thought have their negative and positives.

The Blow It Up Route: If you don't see us winning the title any time soon and are not looking forward to having Pierce on the books with a second max contract, now would be the time to trade him. His value has never been higher and he could fetch some very nice trade packages. We'd also look to dump Wally and Raef and clear out all of the overpaid veterans from the payroll. THe core would be: West, Tony Allen, Green, Jefferson, Perkins, Gomes and we'd build around them. Pierce to Chicago could net Hinrich, Nocioni a