The Celts made a run at Hinrich?

[moiso]

Totally agree about Chicago.  This team has had major assets for several years and they sit there and watch other teams get KG, Pau, etc.  They probably could have Amare or Boozer now too.  They havn't really had a good offensive big man since Brand.  And they let Gordon go for nothing.  They draft well, but are horrible when it comes to pulling the trigger.

Letting Gordon walk was the smart move. The worst thing you can do is overpay a guy who'd be the third/fourth best player on a title team.

They could have included him in a package for the big man they are lacking.  Gordon was an asset, now he's gone.

How exactly could they have done that? He was an unrestricted FA and no one was making him an offer when he was one. Not to mention he had the right to veto any in season trade.

The Pistons have $50mil that says otherwise.

[Fafnir]

Totally agree about Chicago.  This team has had major assets for several years and they sit there and watch other teams get KG, Pau, etc.  They probably could have Amare or Boozer now too.  They havn't really had a good offensive big man since Brand.  And they let Gordon go for nothing.  They draft well, but are horrible when it comes to pulling the trigger.

Letting Gordon walk was the smart move. The worst thing you can do is overpay a guy who'd be the third/fourth best player on a title team.

They could have included him in a package for the big man they are lacking.  Gordon was an asset, now he's gone.

How exactly could they have done that? He was an unrestricted FA and no one was making him an offer when he was one. Not to mention he had the right to veto any in season trade.

The Pistons have $50mil that says otherwise.

I meant no one made him an offer when he was a restricted FA.

Besides the Pistons who was going to do a sign and trade for him? A sign and trade for a quality big man?

[BballTim]

I don't buy it for a second.  Hinrich simply does not make fiscal sense for the C's.  I think this is one of those "made up" rumors Danny was talking about one WEEI last week.

fiscal sense? how so?  IMO his contract is the exact type of contract that we need to be looking at...players who are good but teams are trying to move so they can get in on the upcoming FA class.

Since there is no way for us to get in on this FA class and we are making a run at a Title this season, we need to be taking advantage of teams trying to unload players (salary) as the trade deadline approaches.

  Taking bad contracts, especially during a temporary run of bad play, is a panic move.

[BballTim]

Totally agree about Chicago.  This team has had major assets for several years and they sit there and watch other teams get KG, Pau, etc.  They probably could have Amare or Boozer now too.  They havn't really had a good offensive big man since Brand.  And they let Gordon go for nothing.  They draft well, but are horrible when it comes to pulling the trigger.

Letting Gordon walk was the smart move. The worst thing you can do is overpay a guy who'd be the third/fourth best player on a title team.

They could have included him in a package for the big man they are lacking.  Gordon was an asset, now he's gone.

How exactly could they have done that? He was an unrestricted FA and no one was making him an offer when he was one. Not to mention he had the right to veto any in season trade.

The Pistons have $50mil that says otherwise.

I meant no one made him an offer when he was a restricted FA.

Besides the Pistons who was going to do a sign and trade for him? A sign and trade for a quality big man?

  He turned down an offer from Chicago that was probably about as big as what he got from Detroit. He clearly had a high asking price.

[winsomme]

In an article about the CBA, Ian Thomsen reports the following:

While some teams will stay away from making long-term player investments in these uncertain times, other owners will try to exploit it. "There are still two titles to be won [before 2011-12], and certain teams will throw caution to the wind to win them," a team executive said. "If you're the Celtics, are you going to worry about your future? What you're probably going to focus on is the here and now."

That's why the Celtics made a run last month at acquiring Kirk Hinrich, who has three years (including this season) and $26.5 million left on his contract, an outlandish amount for someone who would be Boston's third guard. But he would have resolved all of Boston's backcourt issues while extending its defense, and so the Celtics considered offering spare parts for Hinrich before the Bulls decided they needed a high-quality player or draft pick in the exchange.

Link

What, Scal isn't a high-quality player?  I'm not sure what "considered offering" means, but if Wyc is going to spend the money to maximize this team's chances at a title this year, that's only a good thing.

There are lots of other interesting things in that article, too, including the strong possibility of a hard cap with the new CBA.

  Whether we get Heinrich or not, he is overpaid. Does any one see them getting a high quality player or good draft pick for him? Chicago always overvalues their players. They've (supposedly) backed out of top level trades (KG springs to mind, but I know there were others) because they were unwilling to part with some of their pieces. I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up not doing anything.

given what we have in terms of chips, overpaid players are the exact players we need to be going after....

the good thing from my perspective is that the Cs seem willing to go there...

  That's one way to go. It depends on if they think we're toast after this season. Trading for a bad contract like Hinrich's will definitely impact Danny's moves over the next few years when he's either trying to keep this group going or possibly reload.

that's true. but if they think this core is done due to KGs knee, I think reloading will take two or three years anyway. and by that time Hinrich will either be gone or be an expiring contract in his own right.

personally, I think they need to make a run this year (I think they are good enough even with KG somewhat hobbled) and hope that KGs knee bounces back better next year for three more runs at a Title.

and to make a serious run at a Title this year, I think our bench needs some kind of injection of talent. I'd prefer a SF/PF, but Hinrich is a good defender, knocks down shots, is a smart player, etc...He brings a lot to the table and could work nicely alongside Daniels to give Ray and Paul some rest. not a perfect fit, but I could get excited about i.

[moiso]

Totally agree about Chicago.  This team has had major assets for several years and they sit there and watch other teams get KG, Pau, etc.  They probably could have Amare or Boozer now too.  They havn't really had a good offensive big man since Brand.  And they let Gordon go for nothing.  They draft well, but are horrible when it comes to pulling the trigger.

Letting Gordon walk was the smart move. The worst thing you can do is overpay a guy who'd be the third/fourth best player on a title team.

They could have included him in a package for the big man they are lacking.  Gordon was an asset, now he's gone.

How exactly could they have done that? He was an unrestricted FA and no one was making him an offer when he was one. Not to mention he had the right to veto any in season trade.

The Pistons have $50mil that says otherwise.

I meant no one made him an offer when he was a restricted FA.

Besides the Pistons who was going to do a sign and trade for him? A sign and trade for a quality big man?

They could have INCLUDED him in a package before his contract was up.  If you can get someone to take Jerome James or Eddie Curry, you can find someone to take Ben Gordon.

[Fafnir]

  He turned down an offer from Chicago that was probably about as big as what he got from Detroit. He clearly had a high asking price.

That doesn't mean he was worth it, or that there was a feasible scenario that the Bulls could have traded him for something valuable.

The Bulls were lucky he turned their offer down two years ago.

[moiso]

Any player is tradeable in the right package.

[Chris]

I don't buy it for a second.  Hinrich simply does not make fiscal sense for the C's.  I think this is one of those "made up" rumors Danny was talking about one WEEI last week.

fiscal sense? how so?  IMO his contract is the exact type of contract that we need to be looking at...players who are good but teams are trying to move so they can get in on the upcoming FA class.

Since there is no way for us to get in on this FA class and we are making a run at a Title this season, we need to be taking advantage of teams trying to unload players (salary) as the trade deadline approaches.

  Taking bad contracts, especially during a temporary run of bad play, is a panic move.

Exactly, and Danny knows that.  I think there are two possible ways Danny goes this season.  Either he deems KG unfit to carry the team to a championship, and blows it up for some young assets to start the rebuilding process, or much more likely, he sits back and waits, looks at trades that save other teams cash, but don't put future money on the C's books, and ultimately reinforce the team with buyout guys.

[Fafnir]

They could have INCLUDED him in a package before his contract was up.  If you can get someone to take Jerome James or Eddie Curry, you can find someone to take Ben Gordon.

Eddie Curry and Jerome James were traded for by Isiah Thomas, there is a reason he no longer works in the NBA.

[winsomme]

I don't buy it for a second.  Hinrich simply does not make fiscal sense for the C's.  I think this is one of those "made up" rumors Danny was talking about one WEEI last week.

fiscal sense? how so?  IMO his contract is the exact type of contract that we need to be looking at...players who are good but teams are trying to move so they can get in on the upcoming FA class.

Since there is no way for us to get in on this FA class and we are making a run at a Title this season, we need to be taking advantage of teams trying to unload players (salary) as the trade deadline approaches.

  Taking bad contracts, especially during a temporary run of bad play, is a panic move.

I don't think it's a temporary run of bad play that is the reason to make the move. I have thought from the beginning of the season that our midseason move would be just this kind of move....going after a good player that a team is dumping to get in on the 2010 FA class.

that has been our best chance to upgrade our bench from the beginning. we have the expirings, but not much talent to give back....

[Fafnir]

Any player is tradeable in the right package.

You are shifting goal posts, you said they should have used Ben Gordan to get the big man they lack.

Since when does the claim that they could have done that equate to "he was tradeable".

Of course they could have traded him! But that doesn't mean there was a good deal on the table for him that would work for their future. Chicago is a better team for letting the one-dimensional Ben Gordan go and setting themselves up for FA or other moves.

[moiso]

They could have INCLUDED him in a package before his contract was up.  If you can get someone to take Jerome James or Eddie Curry, you can find someone to take Ben Gordon.

Eddie Curry and Jerome James were traded for by Isiah Thomas, there is a reason he no longer works in the NBA.

The Bulls also traded for James.  He's on the Bulls.  If the Celts could turn Theo Ratliff into KG, the Bulls could have turned Gordon's expiring contract into something.

[Chris]

Totally agree about Chicago.  This team has had major assets for several years and they sit there and watch other teams get KG, Pau, etc.  They probably could have Amare or Boozer now too.  They havn't really had a good offensive big man since Brand.  And they let Gordon go for nothing.  They draft well, but are horrible when it comes to pulling the trigger.

Letting Gordon walk was the smart move. The worst thing you can do is overpay a guy who'd be the third/fourth best player on a title team.

They could have included him in a package for the big man they are lacking.  Gordon was an asset, now he's gone.

How exactly could they have done that? He was an unrestricted FA and no one was making him an offer when he was one. Not to mention he had the right to veto any in season trade.

The Pistons have $50mil that says otherwise.

I meant no one made him an offer when he was a restricted FA.

Besides the Pistons who was going to do a sign and trade for him? A sign and trade for a quality big man?

They could have INCLUDED him in a package before his contract was up.  If you can get someone to take Jerome James or Eddie Curry, you can find someone to take Ben Gordon.

While technically, this is true (although it would have had to happen at least 2 years ago, since Gordon would have vetoed any trade last season), I think the real mistake the Bulls made was with Thomas.  First, they picked him over Aldridge, and then, they refused to trade him when he still had value (more than Gordon had actually).

Well, they also messed up with the whole Ben Wallace debacle.

Don't forget overpaying by giving a super-roleplayer (Deng) superstar money.  

Basically, this Bulls organization has made more bad decisions over the last 10 years than just about anyone.  

[moiso]

I'm not a Ben Gordon fan, I don't think the Bulls miss him, but I'm sure they could have included his expiring contract with someone else and gotten something of value in return.  They just are afraid to pull the trigger.