And I call it nonsense because that's how Danny sees it:
“[W]e want to keep Isaiah.
“All I know is that he’s had an amazing year, and who doesn’t want Isaiah Thomas on their team? Like, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
Ainge laughed at public concern that Thomas will be too expensive.
“Why do the fans need to worry about how much money he makes?” he said. “I can understand if Isaiah and his wife and his agent are worried about that, but I don’t understand why that’s a conversation that needs to be had in the media.”
Listen, Isaiah has had one of the most impressive seasons in Celtics history in so many ways with what he was able to accomplish,” Ainge said. “I don’t know why people can’t see that.
He's not leaving. Or, as Steve Bulpett puts it,
I’m sure if New Orleans calls and offers Anthony Davis, draft picks and Mardi Gras beads for life, the Celtics will likely be willing to part with Isaiah Thomas.
But Danny Ainge doesn’t believe the Little Guy is going anywhere — not now nor when his contract expires after next season.
Okay, so I'm going to take the opposite point of view. To me, everything in the above reads that he
is looking to trade Isaiah, or at least isn't ruling it out.
I'm not saying that I
want to trade Isaiah. I'm just saying that the quotes from Danny indicates that he would do so.
Everything in his statement says, "This guy has value and we're willing to trade him for value." Nowhere does Ainge say, "We're not going to trade him." Ainge doesn't even say that he doesn't want to trade him. He
does say "We want to keep him," which is very different from "We won't trade himl" Instead, Ainge deflects every argument, rather than addressing it directly. He praises IT's play and asks who wouldn't want him. Of course everyone would want him, but that's not a denial. Rather, that's a "You should want him because I want him and should be ready to give me huge value for him."
When asked about money, he deflects the question again. Obviously, the crowd is concerned about the salary cap implications, not the dollar amount itself. Ainge doesn't address that, instead concentrating on the absolute salary. He knows that we're not concerned about the depth of management's pockets, but creates the red herring, anyway.
When talking about IT's season, he says what a great season IT had and how we don't see that. Another red herring. Of course we all know that IT had a great season. That isn't at issue. What is at issue is where he'll be having his next great season.
I've had just enough training in language cues to be dangerous, and these answers stuck out like a sore hip.
IT's on the market. DA is as cold as a Belichick when it comes to stocking his team.
Mike