Let the guessing games begin.
Danny Ainge made the radio rounds Friday and discussed the Boston Celtics’ approach to Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. The C’s president of basketball operations said his team was close to making a major move, which is even more fascinating when one considers the details provided by Ainge.
According to Ainge, the Brooklyn Nets’ 2016 first-round draft pick — a potential top-five selection — was on the table in the proposed blockbuster. This is significant because the Brooklyn pick is widely considered the Celtics’ most valuable asset; one capable of reeling in a superstar.
Of course, we don’t know who the Celtics were targeting with the Brooklyn pick, but Ainge revealed Friday in an interview with WBZ NewsRadio’s Adam Kaufman that the proposed megadeal would have surprised people because the rumor went unreported.
This would seem to rule out Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Al Horford, all of whom were linked to the Celtics in trade rumors. Now, we’re left to wonder what could have been had the mystery team not backed out at the last minute.
In any event, it’s possible the Celtics could revisit the trade talks over the offseason. The C’s still will have a surplus of assets — the Brooklyn pick chief among them — and plenty of financial flexibility.
“I think that sometimes these can set the table if there are future conversations off ones that happen at the trade deadline,” Ainge said Friday on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni & Fauria.” “That does happen often. So much of it is going to depend on how good teams play down the stretch. Doing deals at the trade deadline is tough.”
The Celtics’ trade deadline was interesting, even though they ultimately didn’t pull the trigger on any significant deals. This summer could be when the real action starts.
Until then, keep guessing.
Thumbnail photo via Charles Krupa/The Associated Press
