Danny Ainge recaps NBA trade deadline with Toucher & Rich
Following a busy trade deadline from the Boston Celtics on Thursday, Danny Ainge joined Toucher and Rich Friday morning to discuss the deals he did – and didn’t – make.
Ainge ended up making two trades on Thursday, acquiring guard Evan Fournier from the Magic in the morning, then dealing Daniel Theis to Chicago for a pair of big men right before the 3:00 p.m. deadline. That’s what the Celtics came away with, but there could have been more.
“There were other deals that we tried to do that would’ve been even more significant, that we weren’t able to do,” Ainge told T&R. The Celtics were reportedly very close on a deal for Aaron Gordon up until he was dealt to Denver in the afternoon.
One of the reported hold ups with the Gordon deal was the Magic asking for Marcus Smart in return. Orlando wasn’t the only team interested – Smart was involved in reports with just about every Celtics rumor. However, Ainge said Smart’s name never came up on his end.
“Yeah, that’s all made up stuff,” he said. “I don’t want to trade Marcus Smart.”
As for the players he brought in, one of the biggest questions about Ainge’s acquisitions has been the contract status of Fournier, who is set to be a free agent at the end of the year. In the past, Ainge has stated his lack of enthusiasm about ‘rental’ contracts, a belief he’s sticking with after these moves.
“I wouldn’t be trying to acquire players for a couple of month,” he said. “I can’t talk about future negotiations with free agents, but our intent is to have [Fournier] as a long-term player.”
The Celtics second-biggest addition was forward Mo Wagner, who went two picks ahead of Robert Williams in the 2018 NBA Draft. Ainge described Wagner as “a young player who hasn’t had a lot of opportunities yet.”
“He’s a young player, he’s been efficient offensively, and he brings a lot of energy,” Ainge continued. He also mentioned that swapping Daniel Theis for Wagner and Luke Kornet “opens up opportunities for Rob [Williams].”
You can listen to Danny Ainge’s full conversation with Toucher & Rich below.
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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].
