Let’s fix this.
Why does it seem so hard for Ainge to deal? Lots of other gms make good deals frequently. Honestly Im not sure Ainge changing roles or moving out of the dealing wouldn’t be better for our chances.
Danny literally just made two trades (Kanter, Poirier) to different teams, signed two free agents, signed his own most important free agent to a max deal and is currently negotiating with another team on another deal.
I suspect what you really are asking is why does it seem that Ainge doesn't make the deals that you think he should make.
Let’s see:
Traded Kanter for nothing because he gave him a second year option...C+ Got a 5 million dollar trade exception we can use on a player at the deadline to boost our bench B+
had to pay OKC to take Poirier because he messed up by signing him ... he could have just waived him if we are under the cap... D Waive him and eat the money, or trade him for a trade exception for 2.6 mil that we can use at the deadline to strengthen our bench A
Traded a first rounder for 2 very unknown second rounders - C- Didn’t like this one either. D
Signed Thompson to an ok deal because Turner was no longer available... B - Solid A+ here for me
signed Teague to A small deal ... he helped Hawks tank last year - C-I hate Jeff Teague but a one year minimum for a back up PG who was a former 15-16 points a night guy just a few years ago A+
Drafts nesmith - B (let’s wait and see if he can get open and comfortable enough in the fast pace nba game before proclaim him the next ray allen) I don’t know what his floor or ceiling might be but this was a solid pick at this point in the draft. A
Drafts Pritchard - C + (unlike a lot of people it is not obvious to me yet that he can pass and run an offense in the nba)I’ve come around to liking his spirit but didn’t like the pick D
Drafts a stash foreign guy who may never come here or have an impact - C- In the second round of a full roster what else do you want? B
Finally gave out a super max deal to a young player ( probably was scared he would offend Tatum if he negotiated with him but 5th year is an option) - B- No brainer A+ on this one
I would say these 9 moves so far add up to a C +... combine this with the leaked Indy stories and kembas knees and Danny is having a C- leaning towards D+ off-season so far
You also forgot- Not paying Gordon Hayward 30 million dollars a year. A+
Based on all these moves adding them up: 4-A+s, 2 As, 1 B+, 1 B, 2 Ds, it’s a solid A off-season so far. Get another trade exception from Char and it’s an A+ off-season.
Now if Danny doesn’t use those TPEs, then we go down to the C range.
I think the trade of the 30th pick for future seconds was better than people think. Late first round picks are considered by many to be less valuable than early seconds because of the rookie scale and guaranteed contracts. Also the Celtics had a roster crunch hence the 2nd round draft and stash. DA salvaged value for a pick that either would have been a draft and stash or a guaranteed contract for player that would have struggled to make the roster let alone get playing time to develop.
I think what all those grades tell you is the grading system is way off, not that this was some A offseason.
Look you can parse it however you want, but the Celtics are almost certainly worse than they were last season, and no better than they were last postseason.
TT is better than Kanter, but we're talking about 24 minutes of backup center play and Kanter was actually pretty good most of last year. It also takes minutes from RWIII, which I hate and hurts our teams chancing of developing a valuable trade chip. Even on the MLE he might still be overpaid. It helps, but probably not as much as most people think. The money would have been FAR better spent on a wing player.
Its not clear to me Teague is better than Wanamaker overall, its really not. He gives you more juice offensively but will be targeted defensively.
You lost hayward an that REALLY hurts, right now our two back up wings are Nesmith an Langford who both show promise for various reasons but are huge question marks. We saw how bad the bench was last year, it really isnt any better now. The best we are gonna get for Hayward is a TPE, which is useful but we'll still have to give up assets in trade to use it.
The two second round picks either A) Project not to be great or B) Are way in the future. 2n rounders beginning of the round are nice, but these ones are meh at best.
The offseason wasn't a complete disaster. I've warmed to nesmith, TT is fine, Tatum signed. But the team is also probably worse and has less assets than at the start.