Quote:
Originally posted by: Poindexter Einstein
SPEEDY ...you said "we know what AW's value was when we acquired him, and at the time that was the best deal Boston could get."
I dont see a lot so far that impresses me, with Ainge's GM and deal-making results. So I am not persuaded that Boston got the BEST deal for Walker - rather, I am more inclined to think that this was the best AINGE could get for him. Ainge trashed him, slammed him as a player, then tried to find someone to make a good offer for him - sorry, but "deal making" in the NBA is the same as any other biz: salesmanship matters. Everyone knew that Ainge wanted badly to ditch Walker, at any reasonable price, and they had to think: apparently he knows something bad that I dont know.
Contrast that salesmanship with the salesmanship when Cuban peddled Juwan Howard to Denver or when NVE was sent to GS - the other team grabbed a "key Mavs player" in each case, rather than someone who was seen as trade bait.
And even at that, Boston got a fairly strong package for Walker, on the face of it. They got Welsch, whom they wanted a lot. They got Raef, who many figured would (and still might) be a top-tier C in the East (with his shooting, shot blocking, and finesse for a C) and who is still fairly young. They got rid of Delk's contract. They got Mills as a big cap-reducer. And they got a #1.
With Cuban's salesmanship, plus the fact that Walker this year is slimmed down, more athletic, and has exhibted greater teamwork, it is very logical to think the Mavs could get a good return for him if they chose to trade him.
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PE, I agree with you about Ainge's incompetence as a GM. But since he is the GM for Boston, I still believe that is the best deal Boston could get at the time. Walker was being shopped, so I would have to assume that other teams weren't offering a better package than Dallas. You said other teams may have thought "what does Ainge know about Walker that I don't". What changes their mind if Dallas offers him in a trade a few months after they get him?
You said Boston got a "fairly strong" package for Walker. I don't agree with that. Could they have done worse? Sure. But I think you would have to agree that this was a very lopsided trade in favor of Dallas, contract and talent wise.
On the marketing factor, agree 100%. If anyone can get top value out of a player its Cuban. I just think Ainge really hurt AW's value by trading him for less than what he was worth. I mean to say, I would find it hard to believe that a team would offer more for AW than what they could have had him for in October. Hope I'm wrong.