Did KG-To-Boston Get Hyped Over The Years Like "AD-To-Boston" Now?

[Phantom255x]

I was about 9 years old when the KG mega-trade happened (exciting times and exciting summer!), but obviously I was pretty young to really remember the years before that outside of the games (like reading reports, rumors, trade ideas, etc. as we do now more frequently with more social media also as we grow older). Basically when things happened I just went with it and just reacted based off that.

I was curious, before the KG trade was made, was there numerous years of fantasizing, rumors, etc. of trading for KG kind of like there is with Anthony Davis these days (going on for many years now, almost nonstop)? Or was it something that no one really thought of much until maybe a year before and then it just sort of came together with the Ray Allen addition as well?

I ask because I truthfully am not sure myself but there's obviously a lot more "veterans" on here who probably do 

[Chris22]

There was no talk of KG to Boston until we got Ray Allen.

[Phantom255x]

There was no talk of KG to Boston until we got Ray Allen.

Ah okay. Thanks!

So this is way different then 

[GreenEnvy]

Honestly it was a different time without social media catching/breaking everything. There was no Twitter or Insta, but had there been, I think we would have heard rumblings before the draft.

Ainge made the Ray trade knowing he was going after KG too, so he had to have some sort of discussion with McHale prior. I don’t see him trading for a 31-year-old to pair with Pierce and Jefferson. Ray was always the first step in the plan. And even if KG didn’t approve, I think DA would have taken the risk without him agreeing to an extension.

We had guys like Aldridge, Stein, Sheridan, and Spears (and actually had to listen to Broussard and SAS), but none of which had the sources and ability to get the info out so quickly like Woj and Shams do.

[Roy H.]

There was no talk of KG to Boston until we got Ray Allen.

Not quite true.  It was known that Ainge was trying to get KG that summer, before the Ray trade. There was a lot of discussion about it, with many fans not wanting to give up both Big Al and the #5. After theRay deal, the immediate thought was the KG deal might be dead due to us trading our pick to Seattle. I think most people assumed that KG would go to the Lakers or Warriors. Most (but not all) fans were focused on a rebuild, and were largely unhappy with the Ray trade until the other shoe dropped.

I think the star we were often connected with was Allen Iverson.

[Donoghus]

There was no talk of KG to Boston until we got Ray Allen.

Not quite true.  It was known that Ainge was trying to get KG that summer, before the Ray trade.  But, I think most people assumed that KG would go to the Lakers or Warriors. Most (but not all) fans were focused on a rebuild.

I think the star we were often connected with was Allen Iverson.

Yup.  Also remember a good deal of Shawn Marion discussion.   

The KG stuff seemed like more of a pipedream until the Ray trade was swung. Then it really heated up fast from draft night til July.

[Phantom255x]

There was no talk of KG to Boston until we got Ray Allen.

Not quite true.  It was known that Ainge was trying to get KG that summer, before the Ray trade.  But, I think most people assumed that KG would go to the Lakers or Warriors. Most (but not all) fans were focused on a rebuild.

I think the star we were often connected with was Allen Iverson.

Yup.  Also remember a good deal of Shawn Marion discussion.   

The KG stuff seemed like more of a pipedream until the Ray trade was swung. Then it really heated up fast from draft night til July.

Must have been wild times 

[Donoghus]

There was no talk of KG to Boston until we got Ray Allen.

Not quite true.  It was known that Ainge was trying to get KG that summer, before the Ray trade.  But, I think most people assumed that KG would go to the Lakers or Warriors. Most (but not all) fans were focused on a rebuild.

I think the star we were often connected with was Allen Iverson.

Yup.  Also remember a good deal of Shawn Marion discussion.   

The KG stuff seemed like more of a pipedream until the Ray trade was swung. Then it really heated up fast from draft night til July.

Must have been wild times 

This board from post-lottery to the title a year later was such an insane & fun roller coaster of fandom.

Hate to be all "good ol' days" & stuff but those were the good ol' days.

[Who]

I thought there was 2 years of KG trade rumours before the deal happened. Boston was one of the teams mentioned but never a frontrunner. Boston was also linked with a bunch of other stars. Everyone knew Ainge was trying to swing for a big name. Iverson was a big one. Pau Gasol was another. I forget who else.

The two main teams in the KG chase were Phoenix and the LA Lakers. Phoenix were willing to deal Marion but were reluctant to deal Amare Stoudemire. Minnesota wanted Amare. So that deal never got made. LA were offering Odom and Andrew Bynum (hadn't broken out yet, only 7ppg 5rpg).

The other team that got mentioned a lot in trade deals was Chicago. The Baby Bulls had lots of trade assets and were getting mentioned in everything. I don't remember if they were in the KG chase but they probably were.

Boston, on the other hand, was a secondary option. They didn't have great trade assets. They had a lot of good pieces. Expiring deals. Good young players. Good draft picks. But no great pieces you could build a team around. So they couldn't get in any of the trade negotations for the top players and were instead looking for the 2nd tier guys (like Iverson or Pau) who weren't valued as highly.

That all changed in the season before the KG trade. Paul Pierce got hurt and missed almost half the season. The Celtics went from a near .500 team (20 wins, 27 losses) to the worst team in the league (7 wins, 31 losses) without Pierce. Suddenly Boston had a great chance at a top pick in a top draft (Durant, Oden).

The second thing that happened was Big Al broke out. He went from a 7ppg 5rpg bench big man to a 16ppg 11rpg who posted 20-11 after the All-Star break. Al Jefferson had announced himself as a future star in the making. The type of low post offensive weapon you could build your team around. Now Boston had 2 blue chip trade assets (Big Al, 2007 draft pick).

This changed everything and made Boston one of the frontrunners in the trade market. This is when Boston became one of the main options in the KG trade chase. Even then though, LAL and Phoenix were considered above Boston. However Phoenix were still unwilling to deal. That left it between LAL and Boston. Minnesota (McHale) chose Boston's trade package over LAL largely because Big Al had proved himself much more so than Andrew Bynum. I mean, who would you pick? The 20-11 big man or the 7ppg 5rpg big man? Bynum was too big of an unknown at that point and Odom was not a franchise cornerstone. Big Al was the best young talent on the table and Minnesota went for him.

If McHale didn't screw up, he could've had the 2007 draft pick (#5) that landed Ray Allen as well as Big Al. But he was hesitant and blew his opportunity. Ended up with a lesser deal.

......

So no KG wasn't as hyped to Boston for years before. It was more of a pipe dream that Boston didn't have the assets to get into. Then they did after an injury hit 2007 and the breakout of Big Al and suddenly Boston were prime trade destination. From then on, they were heavily named for KG.

That is my memory of it.

[Moranis]

I thought there was 2 years of KG trade rumours before the deal happened. Boston was one of the teams mentioned but never a frontrunner. Boston was also linked with a bunch of other stars. Everyone knew Ainge was trying to swing for a big name. Iverson was a big one. Pau Gasol was another. I forget who else.

The two main teams in the KG chase were Phoenix and the LA Lakers. Phoenix were willing to deal Marion but were reluctant to deal Amare Stoudemire. Minnesota wanted Amare. So that deal never got made. LA were offering Odom and Andrew Bynum (hadn't broken out yet, only 7ppg 5rpg).

The other team that got mentioned a lot in trade deals was Chicago. The Baby Bulls had lots of trade assets and were getting mentioned in everything. I don't remember if they were in the KG chase but they probably were.

Boston, on the other hand, was a secondary option. They didn't have great trade assets. They had a lot of good pieces. Expiring deals. Good young players. Good draft picks. But no great pieces you could build a team around. So they couldn't get in any of the trade negotations for the top players and were instead looking for the 2nd tier guys (like Iverson or Pau) who weren't valued as highly.

That all changed in the season before the KG trade. Paul Pierce got hurt and missed almost half the season. The Celtics went from a near .500 team (20 wins, 27 losses) to the worst team in the league (7 wins, 31 losses) without Pierce. Suddenly Boston had a great chance at a top pick in a top draft (Durant, Oden).

The second thing that happened was Big Al broke out. He went from a 7ppg 5rpg bench big man to a 16ppg 11rpg who posted 20-11 after the All-Star break. Al Jefferson had announced himself as a future star in the making. The type of low post offensive weapon you could build your team around. Now Boston had 2 blue chip trade assets (Big Al, 2007 draft pick).

This changed everything and made Boston one of the frontrunners in the trade market. This is when Boston became one of the main options in the KG trade chase. Even then though, LAL and Phoenix were considered above Boston. However Phoenix were still unwilling to deal. That left it between LAL and Boston. Minnesota (McHale) chose Boston's trade package over LAL largely because Big Al had proved himself much more so than Andrew Bynum. I mean, who would you pick? The 20-11 big man or the 7ppg 5rpg big man? Bynum was too big of an unknown at that point and Odom was not a franchise cornerstone. Big Al was the best young talent on the table and Minnesota went for him.

If McHale didn't screw up, he could've had the 2007 draft pick (#5) that landed Ray Allen as well as Big Al. But he was hesitant and blew his opportunity. Ended up with a lesser deal.

......

So no KG wasn't as hyped to Boston for years before. It was more of a pipe dream that Boston didn't have the assets to get into. Then they did after an injury hit 2007 and the breakout of Big Al and suddenly Boston were prime trade destination. From then on, they were heavily named for KG.

That is my memory of it.

It wasn't McHale it was Garnett.  He refused to agree to an extension so Boston wasn't willing to give up both Al and 5.  There was even talk that had Boston just went ahead with the trade anyway that KG wouldn't have reported.  Once Boston had acquired Allen, then Garnett agreed to the extension and the trade was made.  Garnett quite simply didn't want to end up in only a slightly better situation than Minnesota, which he felt Boston was going to be with just Pierce.  Allen changed everything though as that team with those 2 and KG was an instant contender if not favorite (and obviously they won that first season) and KG knew it.  It also wasn't just PP, him, and a bunch of kids.  Allen really was what made the KG trade come together.

Also for the record, Boston owned Minnesota's 2009 1st round pick.  So for a team going into rebuilding getting that draft pick back was incredibly important (it ended up being the 6th pick in 2009, which Minnesota wasted on Jonny Flynn).   That was the best draft capital being offered, so that along with Jefferson swung the trade into Boston's favor even without the 2008 5th pick (Jeff Green).

[Roy H.]

Pau Gasol was another.

I was for sure the #1 pusher of that idea, the idea being that we'd have Pau and Big Al.

Looking at that through the lens of the modern NBA, it seems silly.  You'd never see those two on the floor together now.  But back then, having a low post / high post combo would have worked.

[rondofan1255]

I wasn't active on CB in '07, but I don't remember reading or seeing KG rumors until the summer when the deal was made. I checked the yahoo site first and then ESPN for box scores then. No apps or anything... Also still had a flip phone WITHOUT internet! 

[Moranis]

Pau Gasol was another.

I was for sure the #1 pusher of that idea, the idea being that we'd have Pau and Big Al.

Looking at that through the lens of the modern NBA, it seems silly.  You'd never see those two on the floor together now.  But back then, having a low post / high post combo would have worked.

Yeah I always wonder if Boston might have won more titles had it not acquired KG and instead acquired Pau while being able to keep Al (maybe that doesn't happen as Memphis was actually pretty high on Marc Gasol).  It would have been a fascinating team with Gasol, Jefferson, Pierce, Allen, and Rondo along with Perkins, Davis, Posey, House, Powe, Scal, and maybe Telfair and/or Gomes.  That team might not win that first year, but I think it would have been much better positioned to win the next couple of seasons, especially if Pau wasn't on the Lakers (even if KG was as Odom and Bynum would have both been gone, though Marc Gasol might have been). 

[SHAQATTACK]

KG was my favorite player maybe all time.   I was in middle of moving , it came as shock and best Celtics news in decades
yeah i turned cartwheels with joy
i still grin thinking about it .

i think it will be between LA and Boston ....if AD gets his way.   

imo ...at LA ..He will second fiddle staus , as Irving and Love , Wade , all the rest always were with The Diva being Alpha dog in every way. 

in Boston he becomes a god .

[fairweatherfan]

If I recall correctly there was much more rumor buzz about us moving a smaller version of the same KG package to land Jermaine O'Neal. Fortunately destiny brought him our way a few years later and smacked us upside the head with what a stupid move that'd've been.

The KG move had almost no buzz to it - Suns and Lakers were the teams linked to him - until very shortly before it happened. I remember this clearly because I had no Internet for a few days while I moved in with my girlfriend, it was the first thing I saw when I logged back in, and I was so shocked I think I might've pooped out my heart.