I think we would have AD, if Kyrie committed.
I can’t fault Ainge for that. Kyrie is pretty flaky, and apparently didn’t want to be here.
I agree, but I cannot really understand why Kyrie does not want to be here.
He got his wish to be "the man" in one of the biggest sports markets in the world, for one of the most famous franchises. He was instantly added to a contending roster. All of the best players were locked up for at least a couple years. He has one of the more respected coaches in the league right now. He was a front-office with incredible stability and a willingness to invest in them team, along with a laser-like focus on winning.
What went wrong?
What else does he want, outside of playing in New York or LA, that he cannot have here?
My guess is that Kyrie wanted more roster-building influence, like Lebron had in Cleveland, but he made a couple fatal assumptions:
(1) He is not Lebron
(2) Danny and Wyc are not Dan Gilbert & Co.
(3) You absolutely cannot flex your status to get your own roster when you are a flight risk
This probably boiled over at the trade deadline, when Kyrie essentially crushed the rest of the Celtics season with his attitude and comments. And now, the love is lost (if it was ever there).