Danny Ainge, Celtics willing to deal, but only for right price

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2016/02/bulpett_danny_ainge_celtics_willing_to_deal_but_only_for_right_price



Bulpett: Danny Ainge, Celtics willing to deal, but only for right price



Steve Bulpett Wednesday, February 17, 2016






Credit: Herald file photo
Danny Ainge



SALT LAKE CITY — The wheels have started to move on the trade deadline carousel, but for now the Celtics are a bystander — albeit a talkative one.

According to several sources, the club is holding out for a hero to shake loose from another roster while also looking for the next partially hidden gem (think Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas).

It’s already been reported here that the Celts rang the Clippers’ doorbell to see if Blake Griffin could come out and play for them, and sources say the C’s were one of a number of teams that sought to do business with the Heat in the wake of more blood clot issues for Chris Bosh. But no, Miami isn’t giving up Justise Winslow.

The dealing began yesterday with Orlando sending Tobias Harris to Detroit for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova.

You might recall a Herald report last summer that the Celtics weren’t willing to spend big for Harris. Well, apparently the Magic had some regret after retaining him with a four-year, $64 million pact. While Harris is certainly a good player, many around the league see him as unworthy of a $16 million average for what he brings. For Orlando, the desire to clear the track even further for Aaron Goodwin also played into the move.

The fact the Celtics never really were in on Harris when there was a clamoring from fans to get him plays into Ainge’s image among his peers.

One general manager who’s had recent conversations with the Celts was talking about the club’s willingness to get involved in trade talks. Then he added that Ainge is one of the more decisive people in the profession.

“Nothing they have is untouchable,” the GM said. “Even the Brooklyn pick is there if you’ve got the right guy. There’s no question they want to be in on everything to see if they can find something that works for them, and they really don’t take anything off the table.



In light of that, some of the names being associated with the Celtics don’t end up being realistic.

Al Horford would make a nice addition to the C’s but wouldn’t put them over the top now. And what will you have to pay him as a free agent this summer? The Hawks are said to have the same contractual question, which is why they’ve been seeing what he’s worth now. And Horford will be 30 at the start of next season, making him a dubious choice for someone to pay big if you’re the Celtics and need to protect cap space for a star on a still-rebuilding team.

The case of Kevin Love is even more complicated. Ainge has tried hard to get him in the past, most notably in the summer of 2014 when he wanted to pair him with Rajon Rondo and jump-start the Celtics’ rebuilding process.

A season and two-thirds later, Love has a big deal from Cleveland in his pocket that escalates from $19.7 million this year to a player option of $25,595,700 in 2019-20. And he’s had physical issues dating to his days in Minnesota, well before a meeting with Kelly Olynyk messed up his left shoulder.

The Celts do have interest in both Love and Horford; the question is price. And the expectation continues to be that, while the C’s would go higher for Love than Horford, their present teams want more than Ainge will give.

Whether that could change as tomorrow’s 3 p.m. trade deadline approaches is another matter.



bob
MY NOTE: My favorite line: “But Danny’s never going to give anything away. He seems to have put a value on guys — his own, too — and he really doesn’t waver much from that at all. He can be a bit of a pain about that, too.”


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