I’ll start by saying this: Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver is one of the league’s worst. He, Cleveland’s Dan Gilbert, and New York’s James Dolan are the three-headed Cerberus at the entrance to NBA hell.
Ryan McDonough, a former Assistant General Manager for the Boston Celtics under Danny Ainge, learned that the hard way today, as he was fired as GM just nine days from the season opener. After being allowed to draft the team’s future potentially franchise player, hire a head coach, negotiate trades, and sign free agents, the Suns apparently got fed up.
McDonough's tenure was met with immediate success, but difficulties with trades and draft picks short-circuited tenure. McDonough has been pursuing a starting-level point guard in marketplace, only to have many teams holding Suns up for an unprotected first-round pick in talks.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 8, 2018
I won’t sit here and tell you McDonough doesn’t deserve to be fired. He’s made his fair share of suspect moves and he’s directly involved in this accelerated rebuild in Boston because of the Isaiah Thomas trade.
The timing of the decision, though, is ridiculous. If him trying to protect a first round pick in a deal for a point guard is what pushed the Suns over the edge, then that’s just poor decision-making.
And where there’s poor decision-making, there’s a good GM ready to swoop in and take advantage.
The Celtics have a freshly signed Marcus Smart and newly-committed Kyrie Irving. While Smart’s contract is pivotal to a potential blockbuster trade, I have to wonder if the Celtics are going to be able to resist trying to swindle a frustrated, meddling owner.
The challenge for the Suns remains unchanged: Robert Sarver is perhaps the NBA's most involved owner in basketball decision-making and the plan can change day-to-day. McDonough survived five years with him. Recruiting a new GM is never an easy sell there.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 8, 2018
Boston has a starting-caliber point guard. If Phoenix’s desire to get one is so strong that it cost their GM his job, Boston has to at least make a phone call to see how much they can get.
The Celtics love Terry Rozier. We all do. But a chance to fleece a team will never pass without Danny Ainge making a phone call to see if he can get in on the action. It might not materialize, but there’s zero doubt that Boston will at least feel things out.
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