I think Danny Ainge is preparing for another set of superstar acquisitions

[badshar]

Bill Simmons:

PS: something like Doc/KG/Terry/Lee for Jordan/Bledsoe/Butler/picks is Boston's ideal scenario here. Youth + future cap space + picks.

2 things I'm hearing: Celts holding tight for Bledsoe in this Clips deal, and C's trying to dump 1 or 2 contracts in it (Terry and/or Lee).

So I know how many of the people here think we are headed towards tanking and aiming for Wiggins or Parker in the draft, but after reading those tweets by Simmons, especially the first one, I really think Danny Ainge is preparing for building another super-team.

Youth + Cap Space + Picks, isn't that how Danny landed KG and Allen?!

Now I wonder if the whole Clips deal was to generate assets to put together a deal for some superstar in the near future.

What do you guys think?

[LarBrd33]

Bill Simmons:

PS: something like Doc/KG/Terry/Lee for Jordan/Bledsoe/Butler/picks is Boston's ideal scenario here. Youth + future cap space + picks.

2 things I'm hearing: Celts holding tight for Bledsoe in this Clips deal, and C's trying to dump 1 or 2 contracts in it (Terry and/or Lee).

So I know how many of the people here think we are headed towards tanking and aiming for Wiggins or Parker in the draft, but after reading those tweets by Simmons, especially the first one, I really think Danny Ainge is preparing for building another super-team.

Youth + Cap Space + Picks, isn't that how Danny landed KG and Allen?!

Now I wonder if the whole Clips deal was to generate assets to put together a deal for some superstar in the near future.

What do you guys think?

It's the "asset acquisition" stage.  We'll try to get as many young assets as possible... and then tank as hard as possible so we can get a major draft pick in 2014.  If we did the KG for JOrdan trade, we wouldn't have any cap space this year or next year.  It would have be a long-term view.  Bring in assets and hope we can flip them later on for an impact player when we're ready to stop losing.

[lightspeed5]

I think danny aims for disgruntled superstars or stars.... Think along the lines of dwight howard, maybe demarcus cousins.

[edwardjkasche]

That is EXACTLY what Ainge is doing.  I've been writing that for months. 

Ainge knows what it takes to win championship - superstars / top-15 NBA players surrounded by role players who fit specific roles.  He's been very vocal about that in the past.  That's why he went out and got KG and Allen to match with Pierce. 

The best thing about Ainge as a GM is that he understands that.  He won't settle on five years of barely making the playoffs.  He knows the Celtics need superstars, and in today's NBA you need assets to trade for superstars, usually in sign-and-trades for players who force their way out from their current teams.  Trades are key for the Celtics because Boston is notorious for not being a huge free agency landing spot.

In my opinion, Ainge has done a great job of acquiring assets over the past few seasons - Green, Lee, Bradley, Bass, Sully, Melo...  They're all signed to varying contracts ($ and years).  He used bad assets like Moore and 2nd round draft picks to get Lee, who is a better asset. 

Ainge knows what he's doing and I trust him to put the Celtics first, always.

[SHAQATTACK]

Still think DA would stash asets and then go after DMC next time he screws up and get a coach fired

Lakers are going shopping BIG TIME for STARS when Kobe quits ....Boston wants to be in postion  with assets to answer back themselves.

We need Larry Bird in Boston as a part owner, investor , GM or something .

[Celtics Insider]

How would we even get DMC? I LOVE Rondo, but I'd MUCH rather have DMC. What would it realistically even take? Do we have anything that SAC would want?

[clover]

Of course he's trying to put together another 'super-team'.  That's his job.

And, as before, it may take him a year or more of interim moves to get there.  Assets, in the form of players and picks, and future cap space are what he has to work toward.

[Neurotic Guy]

That is the idea.  Assets and luck.  Need at least 1 if not both to build a contender.   Ainge is trying for both.  Get bad enough for a few extra ping-pong  balls in 2014 and gather assets for a star or 2.

I really like the Simmons scenario that sends Lee and Terry to the Clips.  I would think the Clips would love this as it would deepen their roster.  Lee is a solid addition and Terry can be both a postiive veteran locker room addition and a guy who can still light it up at times.  Bledsoe loss is no loss with Lee/Terry (unless they really think Bledsoe gets them DH).

Also gives us cap flex very soon.

[Kane3387]

Bill Simmons:

PS: something like Doc/KG/Terry/Lee for Jordan/Bledsoe/Butler/picks is Boston's ideal scenario here. Youth + future cap space + picks.

2 things I'm hearing: Celts holding tight for Bledsoe in this Clips deal, and C's trying to dump 1 or 2 contracts in it (Terry and/or Lee).

So I know how many of the people here think we are headed towards tanking and aiming for Wiggins or Parker in the draft, but after reading those tweets by Simmons, especially the first one, I really think Danny Ainge is preparing for building another super-team.

Youth + Cap Space + Picks, isn't that how Danny landed KG and Allen?!

Now I wonder if the whole Clips deal was to generate assets to put together a deal for some superstar in the near future.

What do you guys think?

It's the "asset acquisition" stage.  We'll try to get as many young assets as possible... and then tank as hard as possible so we can get a major draft pick in 2014.  If we did the KG for JOrdan trade, we wouldn't have any cap space this year or next year.  It would have be a long-term view.  Bring in assets and hope we can flip them later on for an impact player when we're ready to stop losing.

DJ is an expiring deal the year after next. Hence theo Ratliff.

[JBcat]

It's great in theory to aquire assets to flip later on for superstars.  It worked great for us in 2007, but that was like the perfect storm already having Pierce and aquiring stars in their early 30s when they were available.  I think it's that much harder to do for stars in their 20s.

Also is our young assets at the present moment really that much better than roughly half the league?  I think for us to start to get in the discussion for superstars, players like Bradley and Sully will have to have huge leaps in their play, and Green play like he did the 2nd half of the season for a full season.  Maybe if we are a little lucky we'll be year in a year or 2, but I see so many teams right now having similar young assets as us.

[chambers]

Yes of course that's what he's been doing.
It's a mini tank. I love tooting my own horn and I'll toot that I've been desperate for Danny to hurry up and do this while we have such a draft coming up.
He has two plans:
Plan A: Collect Assets and tank hard, hope to land Wiggins or Parker.Rondo isn't going to be 100% anyway. Come back in 2014-15 with a major free agency class (Gasol, Aldridge, Thompson, Curry,Love) and young studs/assets to use in sign+trades.
Rondo
Wiggins
Green
Sully
Bradley
DeAndre
Bledsoe
2-3 first round picks
Melo
That's a huge stockpile of assets and we can either build around Wiggins/Parker with Rondo and Green or:

Plan B: If we don't land Wiggins or Parker (Durant or Oden), at least we'll land a probable stud in the
top 8 (Jeff Green). Huge asset there and just add it to the above assets.
 I mean potentially we are talking about either landing a franchise player with guys around him, ready to go hard.
Or we have trade assets like Rondo, Green, Jordan, Bledsoe and a top 5 pick, multiple first round picks and a tonne of capspace for the 2015 free agency class when Jordan's deal comes off the books and Rondo wants a reason to stay in Boston and being loyal like Pierce was in 2006.

[Evantime34]

I think he is absolutely preparing for another set of superstar acquisitions. That has proven to be his strategy in the past. It will probably take a year for those trades to happen, but a high pick in the 2014 could be what we need for that trade.

[LooseCannon]

It's great in theory to aquire assets to flip later on for superstars.  It worked great for us in 2007, but that was like the perfect storm already having Pierce and aquiring stars in their early 30s when they were available.  I think it's that much harder to do for stars in their 20s.

Maybe the strategy should involve being willing to trade for stars in the 30-33 range whose teams might give up on them too early.

[eugen]

I think Danny Ainge is preparing for another set of "superstar acquisitions" .... from chinese league...these players will stay always on the bench