Biggest Ainge 'pass' over the past year?

[jbpats]

Lets say hypothetically any of these players were on the table for Ainge if the deal was right. Based on contract/years left/and package for them which deal did Danny drop the ball on? Personally I feel all three were possibilities for us if Danny wanted them:

Boogie Cousins
Proposed Deal: Crowder, Bradley (or Smart), 2019 Memphis 1st round pick, couple second rounders
Current Contract: $18 mil - Free agent in 2018
* assumed deal by me in comparison to what Sacramento received from Nola
** would have had him for 2017 playoff run

Jimmy Butler
Proposed Deal: #3 in this years draft straight up
Current Contract: $19 mil a year - Player option in 2019
*assumed deal based on what Chicago was supposedly asking

Paul George
Proposed Deal: Crowder, Bradley (or smart), Lakers/kings pick, additional first round pick
Current Contract: $20 mil - player option in 2018
*assumed deal based on what was being reported

Fultz
Traded for the #3 and Lakers/Kings first round pick

To me the no brainer answer is JB, perennial allstar, top 15 player in the NBA, on what some may consider a 'bargain contract' by today's NBA standard. Considering Jrue Holiday just got $25 mil a year, taking on Butler for a lottery pick was easily the biggest miss for Ainge.
I also feel he is the best fit in a Stevens system, adding him to a 53 win team (and also possibly Hayward) while Cleveland is in a clear downward spiral to me is the biggest miss in Ainge's tenure this far.
I also feel his presence on the team increases the chances Hayward signs here.

[saltlover]

For the record, Butler has a player option for that last year.  He will certainly be a free agent in 2019, not 2020.

[jbpats]

For the record, Butler has a player option for that last year.  He will certainly be a free agent in 2019, not 2020.

TP - adjusted

[Surferdad]

I'm not gonna vote, but at the time of these proposed trades, Cousins was the one who filled needs the best.

[hodgy03038]

I voted Cousins. I know that he is not a popular option around here with people calling him cancer but I don't know that he has been given a real chance. The previous organization was a disaster. I don't know that there have been any issues in New Orleans. I think he could have helped us beat the Cavs and we would have had two playoff shots with him without having to give up a lot. Winning is a cure for a bad attitude.

[mctyson]

I'm not gonna vote, but at the time of these proposed trades, Cousins was the one who filled needs the best.

I am not going to vote, because the term "miss" in the title is misleading.  It implies the Celtics weren't paying attention when the opportunity to get these players came up.

The better term is "pass" because that is exactly what Danny Ainge did - he passed on them.

[ausbacker]

Not entirely sure he's "missed" on any as there were (are) issues with all of the options.

[saltlover]

Drafting Olynyk over Giannis. Olynyk showed nothing in college to beget his draft position.

I didn't realize that occurred just last year.

[jbpats]

I'm not gonna vote, but at the time of these proposed trades, Cousins was the one who filled needs the best.

I am not going to vote, because the term "miss" in the title is misleading.  It implies the Celtics weren't paying attention when the opportunity to get these players came up.

The better term is "pass" because that is exactly what Danny Ainge did - he passed on them.

Title changed

[tazzmaniac]

Considering the Bulls really like Dunn, the Twolves offer was better than just the #3 pick.  Ainge would have had to offer considerably more.  The same thing could be said about the Kings deal since they really liked Hield. 

If the Lakers/Kings pick was actually part of the George deal, I agree with Ainge not doing the deal unless we signed Hayward.  That's way too much to give up on a one year rental who by himself wouldn't get us past the Cavs. 

I don't think Fultz is a franchise player or even much better than the other top prospects.  If we're keeping IT, trading down was a good move. 

So I guess given the options I'm okay with the path that we're on. 

[Jvalin]

Couldn't care less about George.
Couldn't care less about Butler.
Couldn't care less about Boogie.

The Warriors are quite possibly the best team in NBA history. Imo, no matter what we do we cannot beat them (just like no one could beat the Bulls in the 90's). I don't want us to sacrifice the Nets-LA/Sac picks unless we trade for a young super star (AD, Giannis, KAT).

Having said that, I 'm still p---ed off with Danny about the Fultz trade. I get that he wanted to draft Tatum. What I don't get is why not wait till draft night to pull the trigger. The closer you get to the draft, it's far more likely a desperate team makes a desperate offer we cannot refuse. Heck, I bet the Sixers would have made a better offer than the one we decided to accept.

When Vlade traded Boogie in the midst of the all-star game, people criticized him cause he didn't wait till the deadline. When Danny trades the #1 pick a week before the draft, it seems people believe Danny has made the right choice cause ''in Danny we trust''. The way I see it, even if Tatum > Fultz, Danny was wrong not to wait a few more days before finalizing the trade. Not to mention I'm still not sold on Tatum, but that's a whole different story.

[hodgy03038]

He traded that pick for a couple reasons I think but primarily to gain some cap flexibility to be able to make free agent signings (Hayward) and/or trades. Now that PG is gone and Butler is gone and Hayward is our last hope it may prove to be an epic fail but only time will tell. And it will only be a total failure is if we got none of those players AND Fultz becomes a superstar and better than Tatum.

[Eja117]

By this theory is IT for a first the rest of the league's biggest pass over the past years?

[Jvalin]

He traded that pick for a couple reasons I think but primarily to gain some cap flexibility to be able to make free agent signings (Hayward) and/or trades. Now that PG is gone and Butler is gone and Hayward is our last hope it may prove to be an epic fail but only time will tell. And it will only be a total failure is if we got none of those players AND Fultz becomes a superstar and better than Tatum.

You don't trade the #1 pick for cap relief. That's just stupid. He traded the pick cause he wanted to draft Tatum instead of Fultz. I get that. What I do not get is, why not wait till draft night to pull the trigger? Fultz is the perfect fit for Philly. There is zero reason to believe the Sixers wouldn't do the exact same trade (if not a better one) on draft night.

[hodgy03038]

He traded that pick for a couple reasons I think but primarily to gain some cap flexibility to be able to make free agent signings (Hayward) and/or trades. Now that PG is gone and Butler is gone and Hayward is our last hope it may prove to be an epic fail but only time will tell. And it will only be a total failure is if we got none of those players AND Fultz becomes a superstar and better than Tatum.

You don't trade the #1 pick for cap relief. That's just stupid. He traded the pick cause he wanted to draft Tatum instead of Fultz. I get that. What I do not get is, why not wait till draft night to pull the trigger? Fultz is the perfect fit for Philly. There is zero reason to believe the Sixers wouldn't do the exact same trade (if not a better one) on draft night.

He absolutely did it for cap relief. He would have had to pay a couple million more for Fultz. I personally think he wanted Tatum more than Fultz anyway but he has to play it that way to gain a pick plus get the player you want AND get cap flexibility. With the cap going down and the low salaries already on the team their flexibility was hampered to make the subsequent moves he wants or wanted to do. That being said, I don't think it's "just stupid".