Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
Before finalizing the agreement with Denver, Thomas had reached out to Boston GM Danny Ainge. They talked for 15 to 20 minutes, Thomas says, and he told Ainge: “If the opportunity is there, I would just like to let you know that I’d love to come back.”
Ainge says his mind was open to the idea, but the Celtics needed to work through Marcus Smart’s restricted-free-agency discussions before they could consider making an offer to Thomas. Ainge was willing to continue the conversation, but Thomas accepted the Nuggets’ offer before Boston had reached its new deal with Smart.
“S—, I’d have gone back,” Thomas says. “I don’t hold grudges.”
ESPN: ‘I played until I literally couldn’t play anymore’
As devastating as getting traded to Cleveland was for Isaiah Thomas, playing for the Boston Celtics was the high-point of his career. I’m sure he feels like he can recapture some of that magic if he can run it back in Boston.
The problem with that, though, is this isn’t the same team he came to a few years ago. That team needed Isaiah to be that kind of player. This version of the Celtics doesn’t.
This version of the Celtics could may be use Isaiah off the bench, but he’d go back to playing 25 minutes a game, and he’d probably not be part of the closing lineups, and…
… well…
It’s just not the right fit anymore. At least not the way this team is currently constituted. It sucks because I never wanted Isaiah to leave. I enjoyed his time in Boston as much as anyone and I really thought they could have won with him.
Things change quickly in the NBA, though, and now Isaiah’s in Denver trying to prove everyone wrong again. I hope he does it and I hope he can find a home where he can cash in a little bit for a few years. If he can be a key player during a Denver playoff run, he can maybe get a longer-term deal with someone next year. It won’t be the Brinks truck he was looking for, but it could be for a good amount of money.
I just wish we could all move forward. There might be a time for Isaiah to come back down the road. I’m not saying it’ll never happen… It’s just not going to happen for a while.
Related links: MassLive: Isaiah Thomas reached out to Boston Celtics, Danny Ainge in free agency: ‘I’d love to come back’
Page 2: Melo to Houston is probably going to happen
Carmelo Anthony is planning to sign with the Houston Rockets upon clearing waivers in coming days, according to two people with knowledge of his plans.
Anthony is unlikely to become a free agent before next week at the earliest because his pending trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks could take several days before it is officially completed, according to the people, who insisted on anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the trade publicly.
But the three-way deal that also features the Philadelphia 76ers has been agreed to and is lined up to be executed after Philadelphia makes another roster move. The sharpshooter Kyle Korver of the Cleveland Cavaliers is among the players Philadelphia is known to be pursuing via trade before completing the three-way deal with Oklahoma City and Atlanta.
NY Times: Carmelo Anthony Set to Sign With Rockets
It’ll be fascinating to see how Houston uses Carmelo. It’s already fascinating to me that Mr. Moreyball, the executive who first and most fully embraced the advanced analytics movement, has now targeted two ball dominant mid-range guys as the pieces to take his team forward.
I spoke to an NBA executive at summer league who suggested Melo was not only still useful, but playing him at the 5 in certain lineups might be the best way to use him.
It’s an interesting theory… and it could be a way to draw a defender away from the rim for Chris Paul and James Harden.
I don’t know if this will work, but it’s an interesting scenario that Boston fans should watch. If we’re thinking about the Celtics in terms of being a championship contender, the Rockets are a team to watch as either a potential opponent or a team that can beat up the Warriors enough to wear them down before the Finals.
And Finally…
Would Kawhi Leonard actually stay in Toronto?
Here’s what someone who knows Leonard as well as anybody told me privately: “He’s going to fall in love with Toronto – it’s going to happen. He’s not going to leave, I’m telling you.”
(h/t ProBasketball talk)
While I do not want Kawhi Leonard in this division for the long-term, I’m willing to deal with that if it meant screwing the Lakers. LA had plenty of chances to trade for Kawhi but they let him go elsewhere thinking he’d just walk into their cap space next summer.
He might, but they thought Paul George would do that too. These are obviously different players with different thinking and motivation, but it would be the height of hilarity if they lost out again.
I know Toronto made this move to win now, but if they could spread the word that Kawhi wants to stay in Toronto, maybe they could use it a way for the Lakers to give up a bunch of assets they wouldn’t part with this summer. I do not expect this at all, but flipping Kawhi for Ingram, Lowry for other young pieces, and hitting a quick reset this season isn’t the worst idea.
If they got Ingram and Kuzma plus other young players, they could rebuild on the fly, still be an east playoff team, and then climb back up to the top half of the conference in a year or two.
That’s me spitballing though… I expect them to aggressively try to keep Kawhi. I just think the Lakers would come calling if they thought they’d miss out on Leonard.. and it’s something Toronto might want to listen to.
Check out the latest Locked On Celtics podcast!
[protected-iframe id=”b4c3e3bf2a85f2646597a30630eb3f0b-142507471-1227608″ info=”https://player.megaphone.fm/LKN2607777831?” width=”100%” height=”200″ scrolling=”no”]The rest of the links:
Globe: Celtics assistant coach Jerome Allen bribed by indicted Florida man, federal officials say
Herald: Parties decline comment on Celtics assistant coach Jerome Allen’s ties to major fraud indictment
BSJ: What will Celtics do with final open roster spot?
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