At first I was excited to hear about the potential KG-to-Celts trade. I am a Laker fan, but I am also a basketball fan, and the trifecta of KG-Pierce-RayRay makes the Celtics, the East, and the NBA relevant again.
But the more I thought about it, the more something started to bother me.
I can't think of ANY precedent in the history of the NBA in which a team pulled off trades for TWO all-star/potential hall-of-fame players, in the twilight of their primes without giving up a THIRD all-star/potentual hall-of-famer they already had. IN THE SAME OFFSEASON, no less. Withing WEEKS of each other.
I may be going out on a limb here,
But this smells to me like something that David Stern and the league orchestrated to take attention away from the potentially harmfull ref/betting scandal, and to revive interesit in their withering product.
Give it a couple of weeks and I'll bet Bird will trade JO to Boston for Brian Scalabrine, Leon Power and cash...
and why would minnesota agree to let stern screw them over?
what do they get?
Its not like they got nothing in return.
They got rid of KG (which they were looking to do anyway),a nd got young talent and cap-relief in return.
Plus there's all sorts of "wink-wink" deals that Stern could have arranged with McHale and Ainge. Like a guaranteed high-ranking position in the NBA heriarchy if/when they leave their respective teams. Ainge probably asked for fully-paid, daily hookers to come into his office and blow him under the desk.
Interesting theory, seeing that KG intially didn't want anything to do with being a C, but COME ONNN!!!!!!!!!!!!
I firmly believe in some L conspiracies, but this may be, as you said "out on a limb" One factor that would validate your theory would be the "season rental"
of KG by the C's. Let's say he ends up not resigning next summer, and leaves Boston for less money in favor of a legit comntender, ala C-Webb in Detroit.
Boston would have already given up five players, two of which would have bright futures in Boston. A little too much to give up for an aging vet? I think so. The only feesable explination of this trade is that Boston mistakingly thinks it can, and wants to win now.
fact is, there never were so many disgruntled all stars on bad teams as there are today, thanks to the number of teams in league and some other reasons.
and you can never trade an all-star for equal value.
and boston just happened to have most young assets in demand of all teams in league - along with another star. i really, really doubt ANYONE in league would have offered anything more for ray allen and kevin garnett than celtics did.
They got rid of KG (which they were looking to do anyway),a nd got young talent and cap-relief in return.
: The funny thing is, you just answered why it isn't so fishy. Minny was stuck in lotter limbo. You know, where you aren't good enough to make playoffs, but just good enough to not get any great draft picks to get you out of the lottery. This is EXACTLY what they needed to do (well, really they should have took the original offer, but this is better for them than just keeping KG).
This is one of those nice trades that are good for both teams. Plus, I'm happy for KG.
The Garnett-Celtics trade has been discussed months ago, it's not as if Ainge suddenly woke up yesterday and thought 'Hey, maybe I should have a go at Garnett!' It was in the works already.
The Allen-Celtics trade was a last-ditch trade to save Ainge's own job, adding in the fact that Pierce threatened to ask to be traded if Ainge didn't bring in a co-star.
Nothing fishy about it, just a GM who mortaged the future for the now.
Conspiracy!!! (YES, ANOTHER KG-trade thread)
Re: Conspiracy!!! (YES, ANOTHER KG-trade thread)
: The funny thing is, you just answered why it isn't so fishy. Minny was stuck in lotter limbo. You know, where you aren't good enough to make playoffs, but just good enough to not get any great draft picks to get you out of the lottery. This is EXACTLY what they needed to do (well, really they should have took the original offer, but this is better for them than just keeping KG).
