What have been Danny’s worst trades?

[freshinthehouse]

As mentioned earlier, the 2nd Antoine trade made no sense.  It seemed like it was done just to capture the interest of the fairweather fans.  No one in their right mind thought that team had a shot at making a run, so why trade for a vet at that point in time? 

The Raef/Ratliff deal was pretty 'meh' but ratliff's expiring deal was a big part of making the KG trade work, so all's well that ends well?  It's getting hard to remember how big of an asset expiring deals were back in the days of 6 year contracts.

[jambr380]

The 2011 Kendrick Perkins trade can never be defended. It cost us #18.

Bill Simmons wrote a brilliant article about that trade immediately after it happened, if you can find it.

It was the early red flag about Danny being in love with wing players over post players.
And he was crazy to think that the two O'Neals were going to replace what Perk did for that team or even stay healthy enough to try.
Please don't argue with Perk's stats after he was traded away. Meaningless. He was a perfect fit for that Celtics group and filled a vital role for them.
Danny traded away the one advantage we had over the other contenders during that time - physical interior play and a genuine unity among the players.

The Heat beat Boston 4-1.  Kendrick Perkins was not making that much of a difference in that series.  In fact, they were probably better off without Perkins, because he provided nothing offensively and the Heat had no offensive centers of their own where Perkins defense would have been useful.  And we know this in part because Perkins was completely and utterly ineffective for the Thunder against the Mavs.  He did nothing offensively and couldn't stop Chandler defensively.

It is fun to blame the loss of a title on that trade, but Perkins would have been useless against the Heat and Ainge knew it.  That is why he added a wing (green) and a center that could stretch the floor (krstic).  And everyone knew you were going to have to beat the Heat to win the title that year (Dallas did it, but no Eastern team was close).  The simple reality is that when KG got hurt and then old, Boston's shot at a title disappeared and an old style center like Perkins, who always a role player at best, and was only effective against teams that had traditional centers or big men, didn't alter the chances at all.  That is why he worked fairly well against Bynum/Gasol and the Lakers.  They had traditional big men, but against the Heat, Perkins had no shot of doing anything.

Yep, great response. 'Trading Perk cost us a Title' is perhaps the biggest revisionist history in the history of the Cs. We needed a back-up wing and we got an offensively productive C in return. I get that hoping for Shaq and JO to give us quality minutes was a gamble, but so was hoping the hobbled Perk could do the same.

And it's not like Perk was a juggernaut for OKC in the playoffs that year. He scored 4.5ppg on 45% shooting and grabbed 6rbp in over 28mpg. I loved Perk while he was here, but that was a worthwhile trade from Ainge's perspective, and we even got a 1st out of it, too. We just weren't going to win the Title that year. It sucks, but it's the truth.

[perks-a-beast]

You’re right, no way any one but the Heat were coming out of the East that year. I still think Ainge makes that trade 99 times out of 100. At the time Jeff Green still had a lot of untapped potential and it’s not like Nenad Kristic was a stiff - he was actually serviceable.

[Donoghus]

That Celtics team was extremely banged up when Perk was traded.  They were hurting for healthy bodies & bonafide depth.

[boscel33]

We hear a lot about Danny drafting, and recently a bit about his free-agent signings. I think that he ranks above average in both categories, but there’s obviously debate on that.

And, Danny gets criticism for non-trades. But, regarding his track record of trades themselves, most of them have been pretty good.  What ones stand out to you as clear misses?

In an 18 year career, the trades that I’d put up for consideration:

* The Perk trade.

* The Kyrie trade

* Trading a #1 for two months of Antoine

* Kanter + #30 for two second rounders

* Traded #20 (Thybulle) in 2019 Draft for #24 (traded to Phoenix) and #33 (Carson Edwards). 

That’s not a bad track record if those are the worst of the worst. Every one of them can be defended.

I loved the Kyrie trade at the time.  Thought to my self, dam, KI, GH, AH, JB, and JT all together.  Wow.  Welp, that excitement lasted about 5 minutes and yet that team still went to the ECF.

[perks-a-beast]

Gotta throw the Kyrie trade in their, too, although it's far from the worst. It seemed like highway robbery at the time, but you have to factor in Kyrie only playing 136 games with the Celtics, and how good Colin Sexton (who CLE used our BKN pick to get) has been.

[Wretch]

Gotta throw the Kyrie trade in their, too, although it's far from the worst. It seemed like highway robbery at the time, but you have to factor in Kyrie only playing 136 games with the Celtics, and how good Colin Sexton (who CLE used our BKN pick to get) has been.

A GM should get fired for not making the KI trade. You make that trade 100% of the time.  Yeah in hindsight it's easy to second guess the decision  but KI is a special player. He's also a special kind of snowflake. 

My best explanation for KI not working out is that he views basketball as jazz and BS and DA look at basketball like symphonic music.

I still think if KI and the Cs could have figured it out those teams could have been special but it wasn't meant to be.

[liam]

Gotta throw the Kyrie trade in their, too, although it's far from the worst. It seemed like highway robbery at the time, but you have to factor in Kyrie only playing 136 games with the Celtics, and how good Colin Sexton (who CLE used our BKN pick to get) has been.

A GM should get fired for not making the KI trade. You make that trade 100% of the time.  Yeah in hindsight it's easy to second guess the decision  but KI is a special player. He's also a special kind of snowflake. 

My best explanation for KI not working out is that he views basketball as jazz and BS and DA look at basketball like symphonic music.

I still think if KI and the Cs could have figured it out those teams could have been special but it wasn't meant to be.

Kyrie can't take the pressure of being the top player. He's best as a second or third banana. He went to the Nets to be behind KD. He led the Nets nowhere in his first year and he looked very frustrated.

[cons]

The Perk trade. He traded away the mojo that team had because it really miffed the guys in the locker room. Doc lost that team, at that point. Green came over and was a complete non factor in 2011. Then he had his heart ailment  and disappeared for a year.

It was an awful trade. Ainge should have just let the team go for that chip one more time together and then let Perk walk if Perk got a big, ridiculous offer.

Funny enough, in future years, Ainge let guys walk rather than trade them to get something from the players not returning. Did this trade teach Ainge, sometimes you are better letting teams play things out rather than dumping a guy to get something because you know you won't be bringing the player back at a much higher price? Maybe, maybe not.

yeah
i still hate that trade
that was the worst, IMO
i think it cost us a championship that year
killed the locker room
and jeff green was not up to the spotlight

i still get mad thinking about it!

i have to stop typing

[SHAQATTACK]

Perk trade destroyed the mojo and unsettled Rondo in a mindset he never recovered from
 ....all for ol uncle snooze ....if he couldn’t get Harden , he should walked away .  Dipstick Danny Ainge .

[IDreamCeltics]

The Perk trade. He traded away the mojo that team had because it really miffed the guys in the locker room. Doc lost that team, at that point. Green came over and was a complete non factor in 2011. Then he had his heart ailment  and disappeared for a year.

It was an awful trade. Ainge should have just let the team go for that chip one more time together and then let Perk walk if Perk got a big, ridiculous offer.

Funny enough, in future years, Ainge let guys walk rather than trade them to get something from the players not returning. Did this trade teach Ainge, sometimes you are better letting teams play things out rather than dumping a guy to get something because you know you won't be bringing the player back at a much higher price? Maybe, maybe not.

yeah
i still hate that trade
that was the worst, IMO
i think it cost us a championship that year
killed the locker room
and jeff green was not up to the spotlight

i still get mad thinking about it!

i have to stop typing

For sure that was a GM icing his own team.

Danny should have been fired after that season.  I will never understand breaking up a championship atarting five before their time was up.

[Celtics4ever]

Danny should have been fired after that season.  I will never understand breaking up a championship atarting five before their time was up.

Then let me help you understand, Perk was never very good after that.  His time was up, all his stats were in slow decline after that and he never regained it.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/perkike01.html

Ainge saw the writing on the wall early.  But look at his stats, it was a painful call but it was the right call.

[IDreamCeltics]

Danny should have been fired after that season.  I will never understand breaking up a championship atarting five before their time was up.

Then let me help you understand, Perk was never very good after that.  His time was up, all his stats were in slow decline after that and he never regained it.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/perkike01.html

Ainge saw the writing on the wall early.  But look at his stats, it was a painful call but it was the right call.

Let me help you understand... Perk was never very good period.  He just happened to be the perfect complimentary piece for that team.  He was effectively a low maintenance role player that did the dirty work of playing physically. He was a rare case where his "fit" gave him more value to the Celtics than any other team.

Ainge made the trade because he choked after lucking his way into almost creating a dynasty.

It's too bad because the Celtics very well could have had another Championship just by doing nothing.

[RPGenerate]

Danny should have been fired after that season.  I will never understand breaking up a championship atarting five before their time was up.

Then let me help you understand, Perk was never very good after that.  His time was up, all his stats were in slow decline after that and he never regained it.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/perkike01.html

Ainge saw the writing on the wall early.  But look at his stats, it was a painful call but it was the right call.

Let me help you understand... Perk was never very good period.  He just happened to be the perfect complimentary piece for that team.  He was effectively a low maintenance role player that did the dirty work of playing physically. He was a rare case where his "fit" gave him more value to the Celtics than any other team.

Ainge made the trade because he choked after lucking his way into almost creating a dynasty.

It's too bad because the Celtics very well could have had another Championship just by doing nothing.

Sounds like a bunch of nostalgic garbage. We weren't winning another championship. Period. Keeping a washed up has-been wasn't going to change anything. Honestly it was pretty good trade.

[Roy H.]

Danny should have been fired after that season.  I will never understand breaking up a championship atarting five before their time was up.

Then let me help you understand, Perk was never very good after that.  His time was up, all his stats were in slow decline after that and he never regained it.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/perkike01.html

Ainge saw the writing on the wall early.  But look at his stats, it was a painful call but it was the right call.

Let me help you understand... Perk was never very good period.  He just happened to be the perfect complimentary piece for that team.  He was effectively a low maintenance role player that did the dirty work of playing physically. He was a rare case where his "fit" gave him more value to the Celtics than any other team.

Ainge made the trade because he choked after lucking his way into almost creating a dynasty.

It's too bad because the Celtics very well could have had another Championship just by doing nothing.

Sounds like a bunch of nostalgic garbage. We weren't winning another championship. Period. Keeping a washed up has-been wasn't going to change anything. Honestly it was pretty good trade.

Yeah?  A quarter season of Krstic, Fab Melo, and a guy with a literal and figurative heart problem was a good return for the center in our starting lineup that never lost a playoff series together?

We changed our identity from grit and grind to Charmin soft.