Anyone talking about picking up a center should compare the deal to what we turned down with Omer Asik. We could have easily out bid the Pelicans but chose not to. I'm not sure Ainge did the right thing there, but he's not stupid, and must feel he could do better.
I don't see Ainge pilling the trigger for a pricey center unless he thinks it is a better deal than Asik was.
Evidence for the bolded?
The #17th pick and Keith bogans and babb or something along that nature.
We could have easily acquired Asik. Danny believes a 1st was too much for him or asik wasn't that big of a difference than keeping a 1st and just getting Zeller.
Danny isn't dumb, Asik is really good and I believe
Him and Anthony Davis is going to be really good this year, INO make the playoffs and that pelicans pick will be worse than our 17 this year.
So once again, we could have acquired Asik. If Danny really wanted to.
We could have had him for a first round pick, and no guarantee that Asik stays longer than 10 months. So we lose that pick, with no locked in player, and we hurt our chances at our 2014-15 first round pick with the large potential that Rondo and Asik walk in 10 months.
Plenty of arguments for both sides.
Danny could have a specific set of reasons why he didn't go after him, but we won't know why for another 10 months at the very least.
I would be seriously pizzed if fast forward 12 months and we have no james young, no rondo and no Asik. We stink and our own pick is going to be something like 13-16 instead of 1-6.