Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
If there was any question about Thomas’s standing on the Celtics’ roster, he answered those with his performance against the Heat. Thomas is grateful to the organization for giving him an opportunity. He was criticized in Sacramento for his score-first mentality, and the Kings weren’t winning and management did not think he was a point guard, so he was freely allowed to sign a four-year deal with the Suns.
Suns general manager Ryan McDonough, a former Celtics executive, wanted to team Thomas with Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe for a three-guard lineup. It was ineffective under coach Jeff Hornacek for a half-season, and Dragic decided he wanted a trade. McDonough also decided to move Thomas for a first-round pick.
The trade that brought Isaiah Thomas to the Celtics continues to age well. As Thomas keeps taking his game to levels nobody could project, we will look back on that trade as one of the steals of the decade. The Celtics only had to relinquish Marcus Thornton (on an expiring contract) and the 28th pick of the 2016 draft (became Skal Labissière, and got traded to the Kings) to get Isaiah Thomas on his first year of a 4-year/$27 million deal.
By any accounts, his contract is one of the league’s best bargains, and it only gets sweeter when we retrospectively examine how little the team had to give up. The Celtics received Thornton and the 28th pick from a 2014 three-way trade involving the Cavs. They gave up no assets. They absorbed Thornton’s $9M salary through a trade exception, and received the 28th pick as compensation (along with Tyler Zeller).
The Thomas trade was one of Danny Ainge’s best move as a GM, and when his contract is off the books in 2018, Ainge must decide whether he should offer a 29 year old IT a long-term contract in the $20 million per year range. If Thomas continues his improvement, any team that wants him will need to bring out the Brinks Trucks.
Related: Herald
Page 2: Where Al Horford’s Sister Gives Her Take on Roster Construction
Paul is an excellent player, but the C's need a true center. We need Al at the 4
— Anna Horford (@AnnaHorford) January 2, 2017
Al has undeniably proven himself as a successful center over his career, but adding some more height/solid backup would help tremendously. https://t.co/r5Ugn67LsP
— Anna Horford (@AnnaHorford) January 2, 2017
The Paul Millsap rumors have been heating up over the past few days. The Atlanta Hawks leaked that they are looking to field offers for their all-star power forward. Millsap has a $21M player option for the 2017-2018 season that he’s almost certain to turn down.
Last year, the Hawks leaked that they were looking to move Jeff Teague and Al Horford, but did not make a trade during the season. It seems the Hawks are trying to gauge the market, and they would only pull the trigger if another team tries to overpay. The Celtics, Raptors, and Bulls have all been discussed as potential landing spots for Millsap.
Millsap is an outstanding player who is skilled at every facet of the game. But the Celtics will have the cap space to sign him during free agency (if they want him). Additionally, Horford has expressed desire to play more power forward. Despite playing most of his career at center, he said this past offseason he’d like to see more time at the four. Earlier in the season, he attributed his high block totals to more minutes playing the four.
Now with his sister telling the world, it may imply that Horford has talked with his family about his desire to play power forward. His sister, Anna, made headlines earlier in the year for calling out Mike Felger. Will a family member’s opinion have any influence on the Celtics trying to trade for Millsap? Probably not. This is a non-issue. But it does continue a pattern of Al Horford publicly expressing interest in playing more power forward.
The Rest of the Links
CSNNE – Celtics Schedule
MassLive – More on Millsap
FanSided – Top Wins of 2016
Celtics Hub – New Years Resolutions
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