Celtics Draft: Will Danny Ainge Trade Another Lottery Pick?

Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge has made his reputation—the good part of it—on the draft.

Ainge has a history of high-value picks. Al Jefferson (15th overall), Ryan Gomes (50th), and Rajon Rondo (21st) are all better than their draft standing would indicate. Gerald Green (18th) has shown flashes of potential. Delonte West and Tony Allen were solid selections in the mid-20s. And Kendrick Perkins (16th) is a serviceable center who isn't done developing.

What's curious, though, is that Danny the Drafter seems to be becoming Danny the Draft Dodger.

Last year, in a "weak" draft, Ainge traded away the seventh pick (ultimately Brandon Roy) and Raef "My Knee Hurts But I Can Play" Lafrentz to Portland for Sebastian Telfair and Theo "My Back Hurts and I Can't Play" Ratliff. Now, Ratliff's expiring contract makes that move seem a whole lot better than it did at the time.

And in 2007? Ainge may be ready to deal again—in a draft that looks to be the strongest in many years.

Incredulous? Don't be. That's Danny.

Ainge never walks the beaten path. From brain-typing to the Brian Scalabrine signing, Danny's a hard guy to figure out.

And he has his work cut out for him this year. 

The city of Boston is known, among other things, for that bureaucratic obscenity affectionately called "The Big Dig." The period in Boston immediately following this year's NBA Lottery was "The Big Depression."

With Greg Oden and Kevin Durant waiting to be plucked at the top of the draft, the Celtics' miserable season gave New England fans reason for hope.  Visions of a return to relevance danced in our heads. ESPN would show our highlights. Our games would be nationally televised. We could talk about a title run—and mean it.

In The Jerk, Steve Martin bursts with pride when he finds his name in the phonebook: "I am Somebody!"

With the first or second overall pick, the Celtics might have been "Somebody" again.

Unfortunately, things didn't quite go as planned. 

There was weeping and wailing. Neurosis set in. Cries of conspiracy and rigged ping pong balls were heard everywhere. Shooters were seen on the Grassy Knoll. David Stern's head was requested on a platter.

Boston fans felt victimized by fate once again dealt yet another bad hand in a game of chance. I was stunned myself. But I'm not much into playing victim. On the message boards, the Len Bias/Reggie Lewis and Tim Duncan fallout still lingers. It shouldn't. But it does 

Frankly, I'm over it. With the fifth pick in a very strong draft, there's plenty to be happy about.

So long as Danny plays his cards right.

If he holds onto the fifth pick, look for Ainge to draft Yi Jianlian, Al Horford, Brandan Wright, Jeff Green, Al Thornton, or Corey Brewer—all good options, in my opinion. My personal choice would be Horford; the Celtics need size, and the big man brings that.

Things are also moving on the trade front. Talks are heating up with Seattle—Rashard Lewis is rumored to be willing to come to Boston if his buddy Gerald Green is not part of the deal. The current negotiations surround Ratliff's contract, another Celtics player (perhaps Gomes), and possibly a Celtics draft pick.

If Danny gets Rashard Lewis and still has the fifth pick to work with—I'm okay with that. The issue of what we will have to pay Rashard and questions about his defense are of concern, but I'll wait and see. An offensive troika of Lewis, Jefferson, and Paul Pierce would be a formidable thing indeed.

There's also talk of getting Shawn Marion for the number five if Boston takes some salary baggage in the exchange (Marcus Banks and his $17 million contract have been mentioned). I like this one too...provided Boston can sign Marion to an extension.

At the very least, Ainge's trading ambitions have moved up a notch: from Ricky Davis to Lewis and Marion. That's certainly a step in the right direction if Danny can get it done. Pierce and Doc Rivers are said to be behind the push for veteran leadership, youth movement be damned.

Remember, people don't want to watch plants grow—they want to see flowers bloom. The Celtics the past few years have had too many young plants and not enough blossoms.

It's an interesting dilemma. On the one hand, NBA insiders know Boston has a garden full of promising young players. On the other, Danny seems ready to package almost any of them for a star player.

Is there a paradox there? Is Danny being inconsistent?

In the words of Walt Whitman:

Do I contradict myself?

Very well then I contradict myself.

Ainge has yet to trade for a bona fide star during his tenure in Boston. Now, he's aiming to do just that...while still holding onto the fifth pick.

As for the Celtics—they'll never trump Paris Hilton in terms of Internet traffic, but maybe they can at least  top, say, the Boston Hilton. And who knows? If this team gets healthy, maybe you'll see someone other than dunkmaster Gerald Green on ESPN...and it won't be on the wrong end of a posterization.

Maybe, as they say, us Celtics fans will finally get our names in the phonebook.