Rumor (source unlisted): Celtics might acquire Steven Hunter

[ForexPirate]

my thoughts are that Danny is trying to correct our size problems.  I love Powe as much as anyone on the board but he is still undersized and struggled to get his shot off sometimes.

I think POB is going to be your back-up PF and Danny is going to get another defensive center type then take a shot on Livingston with that extra roster spot.

We don't need two similar undersized PF's that battle with each other for the same minutes.

[bucknersrevenge]

my thoughts are that Danny is trying to correct our size problems.  I love Powe as much as anyone on the board but he is still undersized and struggled to get his shot off sometimes.

I think POB is going to be your back-up PF and Danny is going to get another defensive center type then take a shot on Livingston with that extra roster spot.

We don't need two similar undersized PF's that battle with each other for the same minutes.

Not to nitpick but POB is the legit 7fter while Hunter is about 6'10. If anything Hunter is the backup PF though I'm sure he could handle some center as well.

[Roy Hobbs]

Wow, people have taken this rumor and ran with it, huh?

[Mr October]

Weight down / PF with no vertical -- I cannot believe we are still talking about Charles Barkley!  What?  Oh, nevermind

charles could jump out of the gym. baby can barley dunk with a full court sprint. this is the baby comparision i hate the most. at no point, in his entire career, did charles barkley resemble glen davis.

he was taller, more athletic, a better shooter and defender, and just meaner from day one than glen can ever hope to be.

if were lucky, davis is what tractor trailer was hyped to be, and not what he became.

but please, no more insulting charles with these comparisions.

Barkley was shorter, but everything else is spot on. Barkley was amazing.

I don't see why anyone is worried about losing Pruitt. Questionable second round prospects are a dime a dozen. We can find a better player to take his roster spot while we see if our rookies pan out. BBD panned out, Pruitt might not. I can accept that.

Now we need a backup center.

I wouldn't say Davis has panned out.  He showed good signs during his rookie year, but he still has a lot of improving to do.  I also don't see why you're so quick to write off Pruitt.  The point guard position is the toughest in the league.  It may take Pruitt longer to become a key contributor in this league, but he has the tools to do it.

Agreed. Davis still has untapped potential.

And Agreed about Pruitt too. With 1's and 5's you might not know what you have for 3-5 years (especially when changing positions from a 2 to 1). With 2,3,4's you know what you've got after 2 years.

[Mr October]

Wow, people have taken this rumor and ran with it, huh?

hehehe... lack of new news/topics on the the Celtic front makes this thread feel like a thanksgiving feast. Weeee!!!!!

[Brickowski]

Why would Ainge do this?  Stephen Hunter can't play.  I'd rather have Scalabrine.

There are half a dozen free agent centers better than Hunter who wouldn't cost anything.

Putting aside for a moment old guys like P.J.Brown or Dale Davis who might come out of retirement, there are players like James Augustine, Esteban Batista (remember him?), Jackie Butler, Mile Ilic, DJ Mbenga, Aaron Williams, Jake Voskuhl, Luke Schenscher... the list goes on. The only question is if some of these guys have signed lucrative deals overseas.

[Roy Hobbs]

Now, I know Hunter is younger, but does he remind you of anybody else on the Celtics bench last season?

Hunter: 19 games played, 2.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.0 apg, 0.3 bpg, 53.6 FG%, 6.3 mpg

Pollard: 22 games played, 1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0.3 bpg, 52.2 FG%, 7.9 mpg

Yeah, let's not even consider moving Leon.

[TradeProposalDude]

my thoughts are that Danny is trying to correct our size problems.  I love Powe as much as anyone on the board but he is still undersized and struggled to get his shot off sometimes.

I think POB is going to be your back-up PF and Danny is going to get another defensive center type then take a shot on Livingston with that extra roster spot.

We don't need two similar undersized PF's that battle with each other for the same minutes.

Just re-read from when I logged back in. Just one small thing - C's already took a look at Livingston, and Ainge passed. Shaun isn't signing here, even on a non guaranteed contract.

As for the trade, I've tried to reach this guy, who should be out of work by now, but he's not picking up.

[Mr October]

Now, I know Hunter is younger, but does he remind you of anybody else on the Celtics bench last season?

Hunter: 19 games played, 2.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.0 apg, 0.3 bpg, 53.6 FG%, 6.3 mpg

Pollard: 22 games played, 1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0.3 bpg, 52.2 FG%, 7.9 mpg

Yeah, let's not even consider moving Leon.

Are Hunter's ankles destroyed (like pollard)? Or was last year a fluke?

[TradeProposalDude]

Another small note... unless it's trade deadline day (or week), often times GM's take a week or two (in other words... take their time) to complete even a minor transaction like this one. We may see it happen during the preseason, for what it's worth. Players usually know well ahead of time if it's the offseason if they're being moved. The entire '05 offseason, Pierce was told that he was going to be moved, and the C's tried two or three times but they never went through (once to Portland... Paul told his agent he didn't want to go there... then Denver for Andre Miller... backfired).

[Lucky17]

Now, I know Hunter is younger, but does he remind you of anybody else on the Celtics bench last season?

Hunter: 19 games played, 2.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.0 apg, 0.3 bpg, 53.6 FG%, 6.3 mpg

Pollard: 22 games played, 1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0.3 bpg, 52.2 FG%, 7.9 mpg

Yeah, let's not even consider moving Leon.

Are Hunter's ankles destroyed (like pollard)? Or was last year a fluke?

I believe it's Hunter's knee that is the issue. Had it scoped in Nov 2007, which effectively derailed his season (appeared in only 15 games from January onwards).

[Jay_Diggles]

I'm not sure if any one mentioned this.  But this makes a Sam Cassel contract more sense.

We move Scali and Pruitt for Hunter and Sign Sam

Rondo, Sam, House
Ray, T Allen,House
Paul, Miles, JR
KG, Powe, Walker,
Perk, POB, Davis, Hunter

Gives you 15 goining into Camp.....

[BleedinGreen417]

TP to Redz (like he needs another... ) for the classic rumor mill photo. awesome. just awesome. 

[BillfromBoston]

I believe most of you are missing the point of this rumored trade if you are looking at the on-court values of the players involved.

This would be a move to position better financially for the 2010 off-season as Hunter, TA, House, POB, Giddens, Walker, would all be expiring deals going into that season.

It seems clear from the moves the team made this off-season that they want to be a player in the 2010 market and the best way for them to do that is to have decent sign-and-trade chips to couple with their potential expiring deals of RA and PP.

Powe for Hunter is a no-brainer win for Denver-Hunter sux...but the move is designed to open up PT for Darius Miles, eliminate the Powe/Davis dilemma, and create more flexibility for the 2010 off-season.

I think this potential trade has absolutely nothing to do with the players involved and everything to do with preparing for the following off-season...

Let's look at the remaining roster for a second, assuming this trade went through:

Glen Davis is a better option at center defensively than Powe, so he becomes the 2nd or 3rd center depending on how POB performs. he would also have the same op at the 4 if he can beat out Miles or spell him in case of ineffectiveness or necissary rest, (not sure how durable Miles is at this point.)

Darius Miles now has 20 to 30 minutes available to him as the backup 3 and 4 without Powe there to take all of KG's backup minutes, which gives him a greater chance to impact that game.

Bill Walker, JR Giddens, and TA all have a little more PT oportunity at the wings without Powe forcing Miles to be strictly a 3. 

Pruitt clears up the guard situation a bit for Rondo/House/Cassell so that has more of a natural feel to it.

Bottom line, I love Leon Powe as much as anybody and he is clearly a very valuable player, but from a roster management standpoint, removing these 3 players consolidates the roster, opens up PT ops for others, and  puts the team in a better position to make a big-time move next off-season.

I'd hate to lose Powe, but he'll get more PT in Denver i'd imagine, and I am far more concerned with the Celtics acquiring an impact player in his 20's to pair with Rondo than I am about my infatuation with Powe.

Next off-season will determine the Celtics ability to compete for titles beyond the GPA era...that is the most important organizational objective at this point IMO and the team seems poised to position itself well without jeapordizing its short-term contention status.

...plus, Bill Walker is still here in this scenario, so i'm covered!!!

[Roy Hobbs]

I believe most of you are missing the point of this rumored trade if you are looking at the on-court values of the players involved.

This would be a move to position better financially for the 2010 off-season as Hunter, TA, House, POB, Giddens, Walker, would all be expiring deals going into that season.

I'm not following you.  Pruitt and Scal are free agents the same season Hunter is, and Powe expires a year earlier.  How can a deal that leaves us in the exact same position financially (if not a worse one) be one that centered around positioning the team better financially?  That makes absolutely zero sense.

Pruitt + Scal have a greater combined salary than Hunter, in terms of expiring contracts.  If we care that much about financial flexibility (rather than talent) we'll just cut Powe.  So, the team would be less talented, and in the same or worse financial position.  Again... that makes no sense.  I think you're overthinking this one.

but the move is designed to open up PT for Darius Miles, eliminate the Powe/Davis dilemma, and create more flexibility for the 2010 off-season.

Lord, I hope not.  "Open up PT" for a guy trying to recover from a career-ending injury?  "Eliminate" a debate by dumping the more talented player?  And "create more flexibility" by putting the team in a worse position than it was financially?

No, I've got to think that this is just a made up rumor, or the details are far from accurate.  Danny isn't a moron.