The Celtics haven’t made a change to their 15-man roster since the start of the regular season, standing pat at the trade deadline and not signing any players off the buyout market. Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald is among those who believes the team would benefit from another shooter off the bench, identifying Jamal Crawford as one viable option. However, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge doesn’t sound especially intrigued by any players available in free agency.
“It’s my impression that they’re rarely as good as people think they are,” Ainge told Bulpett. “A lot of people, including myself and coaches and players, think that a player is still what he was two or three years prior or that he can return to a time of (when he was a) better player. But there’s always a reason why players are available.”
The Celtics have one of the NBA’s best records at 42-21, but that doesn’t mean Ainge has been content since opening night to sit back and roll with this 15-man roster. As he explains to Bulpett, trade possibilities that he pursued prior to last month’s deadline didn’t end up coming to fruition.
“There were some trades that I would have liked to have done,” Ainge said. “But they were good players and the teams that would be giving them up didn’t want to give them up, so they needed to get a home run of a trade in order to do it. And that’s typically what happens when you’re trying to get players that the other team still wants.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- After dealing with injuries all long, often to multiple starters or rotation players at a time, the Raptors‘ next challenge may be a welcome one, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star, who writes that head coach Nick Nurse will have to figure out how to balance playing time for a fully healthy roster.
- Although most of the injured Raptors players – including Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka – have now returned to the court, Fred VanVleet has yet to do so. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca examines how experience has taught VanVleet, who has a sprained left shoulder, to be patient and avoid rushing back from a health issue.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the Nets‘ situation and their surprising split with head coach Kenny Atkinson. Hollinger observes that Brooklyn’s coaching vacancy should be one of the most appealing around the NBA this spring, considering the team is in position to jump into the top four of the East in 2020/21.
- In case you missed it, we passed along several other Nets notes earlier today.
Nets in top four next year? Buhahahaha. They’ll overachieve just to reach the 8th seed.
They should at least get the #8 seed. But the Nets will definitely have a very tough time finishing ahead of the Bucks, Raptors, Heat, or Celtics to jump into the top 4 next season. That ain’t happening.
I don’t think they get past the Pacers either if Oladipo gets back to playing how he did pre-injury. I could easily see the Nets sitting at 6th or 7th seed again next year.
“I would have liked to make a move but only ones similar to what any GM in your fantasy league tries to make to get your best player”
What a dumb and lazy comment by Ainge. There’s a reason those players are available? By that logic there’s a reason literally any trade asset or free agent is available, and no one should ever do anything.
That logic doesn’t follow through to the off-season…. Only free agency after the trade deadline. What he said makes sense, to me anyway.
Yeah, he was talking about unemployed free agents during the season…not free agents in the offseason. Obviously.
Still a dumb comment to make about a group players you’d like to potentially hire from in the coming years.
Not all free agents after trade deadline are the same.
Why isn’t Jamaal Crawford signed yet? Probably waiting for the right call and right opportunity. Doubt he’d take any calls outside Lakers Raptors Clippers or Bucks.
Ainfe probably called Crawford and he’s holding out for Lakers or bucks to sign him, which hurt ainge’s feelings.
Ron Baker is still available as a back up plan for ainge.
Yeah, no I don’t think Ainge is bummed he didn’t get Jamaal Crawford. Neither is anyone else.
His comments say otherwise.
The professional answer would of been a generic statement about how- we like the chemistry of our team as it is currently constructed or we felt confident in the players on our roster going forward or we wanted to give our young core more opportunity to play in higher leverage games to gain experience. All very professional answers.
His hurt feelings answer was- well there’s a reason they’re still available and why nobody wants them.
Ainge has always been a dumb and overrated GM.
Ainge is scared to make a deal but look how good his G-league team will be over the next couple of years.
So Danny is basically saying the guys he liked are taken.
Nets should bring in Rob Strickland to help Sean Marks off the court, he’s a born and raised New Yorker with loads of experience as an executive helping John Calipari.
Then for Head Coach I wouldn’t want Tyrone Lue. I’d be thinking Mark Jackson.