The Two Gift-wrapped 1sts and Whether They Help Chris Wallace Sleep at Night

[LarBrd33]

Just an observation.  Take this for what it's worth.

Chris Wallace was a terrible GM for the Boston Celtics.  Some of his notable crimes against the team: 

- Drafting Jerome Moiso with the #11 pick in 2000.  Moiso ended up averaging 9 minutes over 145 games and was out of the league in 5 seasons.

- Trading future all-star Joe Johnson during his rookie year for veteran role-player Rodney Rodgers

- Not re-signing Rodgers mere months later (though blame likely rests with then-owner Paul Gason who was notoriously cheap)

- Attempting to replace Rodgers by trading for Vin Baker, a washed up literal alcoholic - his dead salary became a multi-year albatross years after cutting him.

- Shortly after leaving the Celtics and taking over the Memphis GM role in 2007-08, Wallace gifted Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers for a mere pittance - a heavily-criticized move around the league that served as a knife-twist in the back of the Celtics that directly resulted in Boston missing out on a championship in 2010.

Chris Wallace should be ashamed of himself.  I've oft wondered how he can sleep at night.  What, if anything, could this man do to right his wrongs.  Would any amount of penance pay for these sins?

Enter Jeff Green and Boston's two gift-wrapped 1st round Picks

- "The Jerome Moiso Pick":   Follow me on a journey.  In 2000, Chris Wallace selects Jerome Moiso with the #11 pick.  Moiso was later traded in 2001 for Philly's 2003 1st rounder.  Then on draft night 2003, Boston (now run by Danny Ainge) swapped that pick (Dahntay Jones) to Memphis (now run by Chris Wallace) - for promising straight-outta-highschool big Kendrick Perkins.  Perk ends up helping Boston win a title, Ainge eventually makes the controversial decision to trade him for Jeff Green... and then, wouldn't you know it ... in 2015 Chris Wallace bails out Boston by taking Jeff Green off their hands and giving up this 2019 Memphis 1st (top 8 protected this year, top 6 protected next year, unprotected 2021).   

Did you follow all that?  Moiso -> Perkins -> Jeff Green -> Memphis 1st - with Chris Wallace's fingerprints all over it.  Drafting Moiso, trading him for the pick, then acquiring the pick for Memphis, and ultimately - making up for his 20 year old mistake by giving up this Memphis 1st rounder for Jeff Green. 

Chris Wallace wasn't done, though...


- 2019 Clippers 1st:  Jeff Green didn't last long in Memphis.  In 2016, only a year after Chris Wallace gifted that Memphis 1st to Boston, Wallace shipped Jeff Green to the Los Angeles Clippers for a future protected 1st.  Mere months after that, Chris Wallace decided to gift that 1st rounder to Boston for two 2nd rounders in the 2016 draft that Boston had no space for (Deyonta Davis and Rade Zagorac).   With the Clippers locking up a playoff berth, this 1st rounder is now guaranteed to convey to Boston this year (currently projected #22)

Look, I'm not saying that Chris Wallace gifting the 2019 Clippers 1st and future Memphis 1st to Boston at all makes up for the years of pain and suffering he inflicted on the franchise.  At the end of the day, this will be between him and the basketball gods.  Time will tell if these picks will bear fruit.   I'm just making an observation.

[Csfan1984]

At the time those deals didn't seem bad because the Grizz and Clippers were good. How quickly things can change. In the same way King's pick (Tatum trade) and Clippers' pick (from Perk trade) were expected to be top 3 to 10 range picks and they turned for the worse at least so far.

[slamtheking]

I know the Moiso pick is critical to your piece here but to be fair to Wallace, that was the worst draft class ever. 

the rest of it is a prime example of what a bad GM can do to a franchise.  That Johnson trade and subsequent dumping of Rodgers followed by the Vin Baker trade was a chain of idiotic moves.

[bdm860]

With the Clippers locking up a playoff berth, this 1st rounder is now guaranteed to convey to Boston this year (currently projected #22)

You know there was a guest on your podcast that said the Clippers would make the playoffs even after the Tobias Harris trade.   

[Donoghus]

I'll always give Wallace a pass for the Joe Johnson trade.  Sure, in retrospect, it was short-sighted but, man, that '01-02 run was a lot of fun to live through given how the prior decade or so had played out for the team and its fans. 

[philr13]

I didn't understand the Joe Johnson trade at the time and still am a little baffled by it. Truth is, I've always assumed that there were reasons beyond basketball for that trade. Johnson seemed very promising and he also seemed to compliment Pierce and Walker nicely. I've suspected that there were personal reasons for that trade that will come out someday.

The Celts did get Rodgers and Tony Delk for Johnson. Both contributed while they were here, but Johnson was clearly the best player in the trade.

[Donoghus]

I didn't understand the Joe Johnson trade at the time and still am a little baffled by it. Truth is, I've always assumed that there were reasons beyond basketball for that trade. Johnson seemed very promising and he also seemed to compliment Pierce and Walker nicely. I've suspected that there were personal reasons for that trade that will come out someday.

The Celts did get Rodgers and Tony Delk for Johnson. Both contributed while they were here, but Johnson was clearly the best player in the trade.

Johnson was very tentative and seemingly gun-shy his rookie year.  I think that was a byproduct of playing with 'Toine & Pierce who were both young alphas on that squad.  Johnson seem to have a tough time fitting in and I never really sensed him getting any rhythm as a Celtic.

Once they decided to go for broke for a deep playoff run,  one of the young guys had to go.  Unfortunately, it ended up being Johnson. 

But I understood the trade at the time and Johnson certainly seemed a bit stifled playing as a rookie on that Celtics roster.

Long run, it was a bad trade.

[Walker Wiggle]

Count me among those who is amazed Chris Wallace is still employed by a professional basketball franchise.

[Big333223]

Merge?

https://forum.celticsstrong.com/index.php?topic=99451.0

[footey]

I didn't understand the Joe Johnson trade at the time and still am a little baffled by it. Truth is, I've always assumed that there were reasons beyond basketball for that trade. Johnson seemed very promising and he also seemed to compliment Pierce and Walker nicely. I've suspected that there were personal reasons for that trade that will come out someday.

The Celts did get Rodgers and Tony Delk for Johnson. Both contributed while they were here, but Johnson was clearly the best player in the trade.

Johnson was very tentative and seemingly gun-shy his rookie year.  I think that was a byproduct of playing with 'Toine & Pierce who were both young alphas on that squad.  Johnson seem to have a tough time fitting in and I never really sensed him getting any rhythm as a Celtic.

Once they decided to go for broke for a deep playoff run,  one of the young guys had to go.  Unfortunately, it ended up being Johnson. 

But I understood the trade at the time and Johnson certainly seemed a bit stifled playing as a rookie on that Celtics roster.

Long run, it was a bad trade.

I hated the trade the day it was made. Comparable to trading Brown et al for Jimmy Butler. Shortsighted.

[slamtheking]

I didn't understand the Joe Johnson trade at the time and still am a little baffled by it. Truth is, I've always assumed that there were reasons beyond basketball for that trade. Johnson seemed very promising and he also seemed to compliment Pierce and Walker nicely. I've suspected that there were personal reasons for that trade that will come out someday.

The Celts did get Rodgers and Tony Delk for Johnson. Both contributed while they were here, but Johnson was clearly the best player in the trade.

Johnson was very tentative and seemingly gun-shy his rookie year.  I think that was a byproduct of playing with 'Toine & Pierce who were both young alphas on that squad.  Johnson seem to have a tough time fitting in and I never really sensed him getting any rhythm as a Celtic.

Once they decided to go for broke for a deep playoff run,  one of the young guys had to go.  Unfortunately, it ended up being Johnson. 

But I understood the trade at the time and Johnson certainly seemed a bit stifled playing as a rookie on that Celtics roster.

Long run, it was a bad trade.

I don't think Johnson was gun-shy and he certainly showed something when he played unlike Kedrick Brown who was a bust.  if they made the trade with Brown instead of Johnson, the C's would have been a lot better off.  A young trio of Pierce, Johnson and Toine would have been much more productive in the timeframe than just Pierce, Toine and a lot of 3-and-D guys

[Donoghus]

I didn't understand the Joe Johnson trade at the time and still am a little baffled by it. Truth is, I've always assumed that there were reasons beyond basketball for that trade. Johnson seemed very promising and he also seemed to compliment Pierce and Walker nicely. I've suspected that there were personal reasons for that trade that will come out someday.

The Celts did get Rodgers and Tony Delk for Johnson. Both contributed while they were here, but Johnson was clearly the best player in the trade.

Johnson was very tentative and seemingly gun-shy his rookie year.  I think that was a byproduct of playing with 'Toine & Pierce who were both young alphas on that squad.  Johnson seem to have a tough time fitting in and I never really sensed him getting any rhythm as a Celtic.

Once they decided to go for broke for a deep playoff run,  one of the young guys had to go.  Unfortunately, it ended up being Johnson. 

But I understood the trade at the time and Johnson certainly seemed a bit stifled playing as a rookie on that Celtics roster.

Long run, it was a bad trade.

I don't think Johnson was gun-shy and he certainly showed something when he played unlike Kedrick Brown who was a bust.  if they made the trade with Brown instead of Johnson, the C's would have been a lot better off.  A young trio of Pierce, Johnson and Toine would have been much more productive in the timeframe than just Pierce, Toine and a lot of 3-and-D guys

To me, he never looked comfortable in the offense and I think a part of it was playing alongside Pierce & Walker.  He was only getting off roughly 6 shots a game & wasn't doing much else to contribute out there.  Which may very well have been the fact he was simply a rookie & nothing more.  I do wonder if Johnson would've ever blossomed into the player he became if he had remained in Boston with Pierce & 'Toine.

Obviously, they screwed up and traded the wrong guy.

[liam]

Tony Delk was also in that trade with Rodney Rodgers...

[celticsclay]

Just an observation.  Take this for what it's worth.

Chris Wallace was a terrible GM for the Boston Celtics.  Some of his notable crimes against the team: 

- Drafting Jerome Moiso with the #11 pick in 2000.  Moiso ended up averaging 9 minutes over 145 games and was out of the league in 5 seasons.

- Trading future all-star Joe Johnson during his rookie year for veteran role-player Rodney Rodgers

- Not re-signing Rodgers mere months later (though blame likely rests with then-owner Paul Gason who was notoriously cheap)

- Attempting to replace Rodgers by trading for Vin Baker, a washed up literal alcoholic - his dead salary became a multi-year albatross years after cutting him.

- Shortly after leaving the Celtics and taking over the Memphis GM role in 2007-08, Wallace gifted Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers for a mere pittance - a heavily-criticized move around the league that served as a knife-twist in the back of the Celtics that directly resulted in Boston missing out on a championship in 2010.

Chris Wallace should be ashamed of himself.  I've oft wondered how he can sleep at night.  What, if anything, could this man do to right his wrongs.  Would any amount of penance pay for these sins?

Enter Jeff Green and Boston's two gift-wrapped 1st round Picks

- "The Jerome Moiso Pick":   Follow me on a journey.  In 2000, Chris Wallace selects Jerome Moiso with the #11 pick.  Moiso was later traded in 2001 for Philly's 2003 1st rounder. Then on draft night 2003, Boston (now run by Danny Ainge) swapped that pick (Dahntay Jones) to Memphis (now run by Chris Wallace) - for promising straight-outta-highschool big Kendrick Perkins.  Perk ends up helping Boston win a title, Ainge eventually makes the controversial decision to trade him for Jeff Green... and then, wouldn't you know it ... in 2015 Chris Wallace bails out Boston by taking Jeff Green off their hands and giving up this 2019 Memphis 1st (top 8 protected this year, top 6 protected next year, unprotected 2021).   

Did you follow all that?  Moiso -> Perkins -> Jeff Green -> Memphis 1st - with Chris Wallace's fingerprints all over it.  Drafting Moiso, trading him for the pick, then acquiring the pick for Memphis, and ultimately - making up for his 20 year old mistake by giving up this Memphis 1st rounder for Jeff Green. 

Chris Wallace wasn't done, though...


- 2019 Clippers 1st:  Jeff Green didn't last long in Memphis.  In 2016, only a year after Chris Wallace gifted that Memphis 1st to Boston, Wallace shipped Jeff Green to the Los Angeles Clippers for a future protected 1st.  Mere months after that, Chris Wallace decided to gift that 1st rounder to Boston for two 2nd rounders in the 2016 draft that Boston had no space for (Deyonta Davis and Rade Zagorac).   With the Clippers locking up a playoff berth, this 1st rounder is now guaranteed to convey to Boston this year (currently projected #22)

Look, I'm not saying that Chris Wallace gifting the 2019 Clippers 1st and future Memphis 1st to Boston at all makes up for the years of pain and suffering he inflicted on the franchise.  At the end of the day, this will be between him and the basketball gods.  Time will tell if these picks will bear fruit.   I'm just making an observation.

So was this part actually a good trade? To get a first rounder for Moiso after he was demonstrated to be a bust?

[slamtheking]

I didn't understand the Joe Johnson trade at the time and still am a little baffled by it. Truth is, I've always assumed that there were reasons beyond basketball for that trade. Johnson seemed very promising and he also seemed to compliment Pierce and Walker nicely. I've suspected that there were personal reasons for that trade that will come out someday.

The Celts did get Rodgers and Tony Delk for Johnson. Both contributed while they were here, but Johnson was clearly the best player in the trade.

Johnson was very tentative and seemingly gun-shy his rookie year.  I think that was a byproduct of playing with 'Toine & Pierce who were both young alphas on that squad.  Johnson seem to have a tough time fitting in and I never really sensed him getting any rhythm as a Celtic.

Once they decided to go for broke for a deep playoff run,  one of the young guys had to go.  Unfortunately, it ended up being Johnson. 

But I understood the trade at the time and Johnson certainly seemed a bit stifled playing as a rookie on that Celtics roster.

Long run, it was a bad trade.

I don't think Johnson was gun-shy and he certainly showed something when he played unlike Kedrick Brown who was a bust.  if they made the trade with Brown instead of Johnson, the C's would have been a lot better off.  A young trio of Pierce, Johnson and Toine would have been much more productive in the timeframe than just Pierce, Toine and a lot of 3-and-D guys

To me, he never looked comfortable in the offense and I think a part of it was playing alongside Pierce & Walker.  He was only getting off roughly 6 shots a game & wasn't doing much else to contribute out there.  Which may very well have been the fact he was simply a rookie & nothing more.  I do wonder if Johnson would've ever blossomed into the player he became if he had remained in Boston with Pierce & 'Toine.

Obviously, they screwed up and traded the wrong guy.

I think we recall his performance differently.  I recall a kid that could shoot and get his own shot to an extent.  could rebound a little for a guard and ok as a ball handler when needed.  certainly looked like a good draft pick.  Brown just sucked at everything except jumping.

we do agree on the wrong guy being in the trade package though.