Tag: Danny Ainge

Not with a bang.

That’s how you ought to expect the 2020 NBA trade deadline to go for the Boston Celtics, if team president Danny Ainge is to be believed.

Speaking on the pregame show of NBC Sports Boston Monday, the Celtics head honcho revealed the team was indeed considering a move ahead of the February 6 limit on moving players between teams.

But not, importantly, one that would shake up the core of elite wings and backcourt players driving the team’s success this season.

“We probably have, I think, too many really young guys,” offered Ainge (courtesy of MassLive’s John Karalis).

“We’re going to look around, but we certainly don’t want to make a deal just to make a deal,” he explained, saying “we’re going to look to see if there’s ways to strengthen the end of our bench, but I think we like all of our guys.”

This is in line with what most analysts have been surmising of the situation in the midst of the national media often suggesting the team needs a splashy big man move that has since died down under increased scrutiny.

For the most part, the teams which have been calling the Celtics have been inquiring about the team’s three first-round picks that may convey this season.

Boston may get a top-six protected Memphis Grizzlies pick projected to fall in the middle of the first round, an unprotected Milwaukee Bucks first likely to fall close to the end of the first round, and their own pick, likely to fall in a similar range.

Asked what the team is searching for most at trade deadline, Danny Ainge says health.

Admits team will examine adding bench depth and notes team has maybe too many young guys. But said he won’t just make a move to make a move.

— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) February 4, 2020

Such a range of selections are not especially attractive on their own, but could be used to grease the wheels for a bigger trade, perhaps helping to explain the link ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday, Feb. 3.

“It’ll be interesting to see what happens over the next three days,” opined the Celtics executive.

“But up until this time, we haven’t had very many teams — let’s say we’ve had 8 or 10 teams that have reached out that have asked us to do a deal,” Ainge continued.

“I think our draft picks have some interest. I think everybody always has interest in draft picks, especially teams that have just given them all away. So that’s why draft picks are important. They’re important at the trade deadline but they’re also very important at draft time to make deals to improve your team.”

“Not just taking a swing with a young player in the draft, but also in the trade market, he added.

Whatever way Boston chooses to move forward this week, there’s no urgency for a splashy move, and if smaller, end-of-bench moves can’t get done from the glut of wanna-be contenders hoovering up the available options, the Celtics will be a good position moving forward.

While the team undoubtedly needs to make some moves to accommodate incoming players, that can be done in the offseason, especially ahead of the draft. Ainge made a point of repeating that the team does not have the hole at the five some analysts were suggesting earlier in the season.

“They’re holding their own against all the centers in the league,” he offered.

“We’re not getting beat at the center position. We’re getting 17, 18 points a night, we’re getting double figure rebounds. We’re just doing it as a team. Grant Williams has given us good minutes at the center position as well on top of those guys … I feel good about our center position.”

With the team less than 72 hours removed from 3pm Thursday, Feb. 6, we won’t have much longer to wait to find out what — if anything — Ainge and company have planned.

But even if the team makes no moves at all, there’s still potential to be had on the buyout market, and the team as currently constructed could very well go quite deep into the postseason if all are healthy come the end of the regular season.

[lawrence-related id=28429,28402,28384,28367]