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.

Stevens is a great coach. Already. He is great, and that Cleveland series was confirmation of what we’ve suspected since he got here and instantly began getting the most out of flawed players. (Remember Jordan Crawford, point guard?) But that Cleveland series also reminded us that it’s ultimately a superstar players’ league. Talent and a replacement-level coach won out — with relative ease — over a replacement-level roster and a brilliant coach. I believe Ainge is thrilled with Stevens and wouldn’t trade him for any other coach in the NBA. But I believe there are a few rosters’ worth of players he would trade him for, players who would make the Celtics at least a contender-on-the-fringes right away.

Boston.com – Sunday Mail: What if Brad Stevens was the Celtics’ most tradeable asset?

This is what happens during the dead time between the Celtics’ concluded playoff run and draft night. Next weekend the Globe plans on pontificating on which Celtic duo would post the fastest time in a three-legged race.

But since they posed the scandalous question about whether or not the juice would be worth the squeeze in a Brad Stevens trade, and since I’m burnt out on mock drafts already, let’s engage, shall we?

This would simply never happen. End of story. Chad Finn says that if the Sacramento Kings offered a disgruntled Boogie Cousins for Stevens, Danny Ainge would pull the trigger. Oh, right, because Ainge would trade for a guy who needs a great coach to keep him in line and engaged, for a coach who would keep him in line and engaged.

I agree that Stevens is this team’s best asset right now, and that’s exactly why you would never willingly get rid of him. If the Celtics envision Stevens being the next Popovich, there isn’t a player in the league for who you’d deal him. Do the Spurs win even one NBA championship without Pop? I don’t think they do. The NBA is indeed a star league, but it often takes the right coach to take a very good team to the very top of the league.

Finally, you just don’t see coaches traded unless there is discord between management and coach. Unless Stevens and Ainge have a falling out, Stevens isn’t going anywhere except possibly the college game.

Ok. Glad that’s out of the way. We can get back to draft talk now.

Editor’s Note: Under league rules, coaches cannot be traded for players. Teams can only be granted draft pick compensation for a coach who is released from his contract.

On Page 2: Would the Celtics take another guard at 16?

A. Sherrod Blakely published his post-combine mock draft on Saturday evening and had the Celtics taking Georgia State shooting guard, RJ Hunter with the 16th pick. Hunter is a shooter, and the Celtics certainly need those if they are going to embody a pace-and-space philosophy again next season. He was the focal point of Georgia State’s offense and so he’ll probably get even better looks from deep in the pros than he did as GSU’s go-to option. He’s a pretty decent passer, too, and so maybe he plays a bit of the point-forward role that Evan Turner played last year.

If the Celtics went this route, however, they’d need a damn good plan to find some size up front — either with a late round flyer at 28 (Robert Upshaw?) or through free-agency. Selecting Hunter also makes one wonder what the Celtics think about James Young and his ability to make an impact as a long-range shooter on the team next year.

If you’re asking for my opinion, if Hunter’s there at 16? I’m not taking him.

And Finally, Doc the GM lost it for the Clippers

This season’s Los Angeles Clippers were slightly better than last season’s Los Angeles Clippers. It was baby steps. They were incrementally improved — but that was not near enough to live up to the lofty expectations.

The reason they fell short of those expectations was Doc Rivers.

Not the coach — he’s still elite on the bench — but rather Doc Rivers the GM let this team down.

The Clippers much-discussed — and dismissed by Rivers — lack of depth came back to bite them. After a grueling seven-game series against the Spurs, the Clippers wilted as the second round series went on against the Rockets. Los Angeles led Houston 3-1 but were flat and tired for Game 5. In Game 6 they wilted in the fourth quarter and blew a 19-point lead (there were a number of factors in that epic collapse, but fatigue was one of them). They fell behind early in Game 7 and didn’t have the role players stepping up nor energy to complete the comeback. The Clippers would make a push but could not sustain it. The fast pace of Game 7 — 106 possessions according to NBA.com — wore them down.

Throughout the series the Clippers players looked tired and after losing Game 7 they admitted they were exhausted.

That’s all on Rivers. This team’s lack of depth was key to their undoing.

Probasketballtalk – Doc Rivers the GM’s lack of bench doomed Clippers. Can he fix it for next season?

The Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead against the Rockets, and instead of blaming Chris Paul, -who still has never been to a conference finals- Blake Griffin or the free throw shooting of DeAndre Jordan, it’s time to point the finger squarely on the coach who named himself GM.

LA got zero from its bench, and that’s all on Doc. Yes, it’s tough to build a bench when you’re spending so much on your starters, but if the Grizz can get contributions from a guy like Beno Udrih, the Rockets from Corey Brewer and Pablo Prigioni, then surely a keen eye and smart spending can cobble together useful parts to, at the very least, give the Clippers stars a breather.

That didn’t happen all season and it resulted in an exhausted Clippers team running out of gas against a deep Rockets squad.

The Clips won’t have much space to improve the roster this off-season, so they better hit big on a few, low-priced role players. If not, don’t expect to see them getting out of the West with the group they have now.