Think Ainge has a bad image?

[ETNCeltics]

I think it depends on who you ask and how you define "bad."  I think everybody understands that Danny is an aggressive, creative, shrewd manager of assets.  He's built multiple 50+ win teams with many different configurations of players.  He's engineered many teams that went on deep playoff runs.

At the same time, people understand that he treats players like assets first and people second.  I think those same people recognize that it's Danny's job to do that, but it still rubs people the wrong way.

Certain sections of the social media crowd especially dislike that because of the optics of an older white Mormon managing a Boston sports team treating mostly black and brown players like commodities.  I know it's a crass oversimplification, but I think that's a really significant factor for some people, especially the most vocal "extremely online" ones.

So when older white men in other cities do the same thing, it's not a significant factor? Because every single one of them do it. Only a Celtics' fan could dream up the analogy that when the Knicks trade a player, it's just business, but when Danny Ainge does it, he's reinstituting the slave trade.

The only reason this pops up and the OP started the ridiculous thread in the first place was because we had a vocal, whiny wanna be star a few years ago who was crushed when he was traded without the Brinks truck backing up to his front door first. Isaiah Thomas's inability to pilfer $100 million from the Celtics before he was traded for a superior player probably has zero impact with nearly all of the league's players. Maybe a handful of them who were really close to IT.

[PhoSita]

Yes, I think it's different when a GM in Boston does it than if the GM were in Miami or Atlanta or whatever.

I'm not saying that's right or correct but that's my sense of how some people perceive this stuff.  Based mainly on Twitter. So that's clearly not necessarily a representative sample of NBA fans broadly.

[ETNCeltics]

Yes, I think it's different when a GM in Boston does it than if the GM were in Miami or Atlanta or whatever.

I'm not saying that's right or correct but that's my sense of how some people perceive this stuff.  Based mainly on Twitter. So that's clearly not necessarily a representative sample of NBA fans broadly.

I don't buy this for an instant (that many players would view it that way; sure, some fans would out of jealousy, what else would NY have to point the finger at us for? Certainly not because of their success.).

Boston is far and away the most successful sports city in America the last 15-20 years or so. No other city is even close. If there was truly a racial concerns among black athletes, that wouldn't be possible. 

[Moranis]

Yes, I think it's different when a GM in Boston does it than if the GM were in Miami or Atlanta or whatever.

I'm not saying that's right or correct but that's my sense of how some people perceive this stuff.  Based mainly on Twitter. So that's clearly not necessarily a representative sample of NBA fans broadly.

I don't.  I think it boils down to the simple fact that Danny has traded the face of the franchise on 4 separate occasions and not a single time did the player demand a trade.  The only other time I can think of that happening in the last 15 years was LA trading Blake to Detroit.  Ainge has done it 4 times. 

[wdleehi]

Yes, I think it's different when a GM in Boston does it than if the GM were in Miami or Atlanta or whatever.

I'm not saying that's right or correct but that's my sense of how some people perceive this stuff.  Based mainly on Twitter. So that's clearly not necessarily a representative sample of NBA fans broadly.

I don't.  I think it boils down to the simple fact that Danny has traded the face of the franchise on 4 separate occasions and not a single time did the player demand a trade.  The only other time I can think of that happening in the last 15 years was LA trading Blake to Detroit.  Ainge has done it 4 times.

How many of those 4 are now anti-Ainge or anti-Celtics?   

[Bobshot]

I think the dysfunction the Celtics showed  early in the season , starting Hayward, etc, and then Irving shooting his mouth off to the media every other day, may have hurt  Ainge/Stevens stature with free agents. Stevens didn't show a lot of ability to handle the clubhouse, so to speak.

I doubt it means much in terms of a AD trade. NO is going to make the best deal for themselves, regardless of anything else. That isn't necessarily the Celtics, but it would be a surprise if somebody can beat their package. And with Rozier or Conley?  as an option, it won't require Irving.

[gpap]

Has nothing to do with Ainge.

The issue is all these all-stars want to play together and are like a fraternity.

Boston isn't necessarily a free agent destination. I say that loosely because free agents have come here like Horford, Hayward, Sheed, Shaq, Jermaine O'Neal, etc.

However, Boston is always the first place big name free agents want to play.

[jambr380]

Yes, I think it's different when a GM in Boston does it than if the GM were in Miami or Atlanta or whatever.

I'm not saying that's right or correct but that's my sense of how some people perceive this stuff.  Based mainly on Twitter. So that's clearly not necessarily a representative sample of NBA fans broadly.

I don't.  I think it boils down to the simple fact that Danny has traded the face of the franchise on 4 separate occasions and not a single time did the player demand a trade.  The only other time I can think of that happening in the last 15 years was LA trading Blake to Detroit.  Ainge has done it 4 times.

How many of those 4 are now anti-Ainge or anti-Celtics?

Yeah, that argument just seems bizarre. I would say the PP/KG deal is the only time the official face of the franchise was ever traded and PP was thankful. He is still incredibly pro-Celtics.

Who are the other 3? Antoine, Rondo, and IT? You aren't going to find a bigger Antoine fan than me and, while I absolutely hated that trade at the time, he got to go to a great situation. Rondo certainly was ready to move on post-big 3, and IT went to perhaps the best situation for him to succeed (and he still wants to come back).

[GreenFaith1819]

If he does it's an unfair image.