If you ask Danny Ainge, the Boston Celtics checked off their top priorities this summer.
The Celtics signed Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter in free agency, which Ainge labeled as Boston’s “Plan A” on Wednesday during the veterans’ introductory press conferences. The pair of signings are nothing to scoff at, but Chris Broussard believes it was fairly down on the list of what Ainge was trying to accomplish this offseason.
During Thursday’s edition of “First Things First” on FOX Sports 1, Broussard highlighted a few scenarios he believes the Celtics hoped came to fruition before they inked Walker and Kanter.
Sure, Ainge might have been using a bit of revisionist history when he described Walker and Kanter as Boston’s “Plan A” and the case can be made the other scenarios Broussard listed are more appealing. But if you refine the window to this summer, Ainge probably made the best move he could.
Kyrie Irving’s exit was a foregone conclusion, and Ainge himself around March had a “pretty good idea” the star point guard would not be returning to the Celtics. And while Anthony Davis-to-Boston rumors lingered for quite some time, the hypothetical began to shift more toward a pipe dream. Al Horford’s departure was somewhat surprising, but Boston might have handcuffed itself had it extended a long-term, lucrative contract to the 33-year-old big man.
All things considered, Ainge seems to have acted on reality as opposed to holding onto wishful thinking and the C’s probably are better for it.
