Finally, a legitimate reason to post pics of Adriana Lima. There's a rumor that involves her husband - the Grizzlies' Marko Juric - coming to Boston. It all revolves around Danny Ainge's love for Memphis guard Tyreke Evans.
Chad Ford of ESPN has the details (courtesy Celticsblog):
While the Celtics have shot down a rumor that they were talking to the Suns about an Amare Stoudemire for Rajon Rondo swap … we keep hearing their name more and more in conjunction with a
top-to-mid first-round draft pick -- a sign that Danny Ainge must see
someone he likes up high.
While various sources have different players pegged, there seems to be some consensus that one player in particular -- Memphis' Tyreke Evans -- is an Ainge favorite.
If the Celtics are going to get Evans, they'll have to get somewhere in the top 10, most likely the top five.
The Grizzlies, Thunder and Wizards all have picks in the top five and have been open to swapping their picks. While it's doubtful that Rondo is their bait, Ray Allen and his expiring contract could be.
The Celtics could trade Allen to Memphis for a combination of Darko Milicic, Greg Buckner and Marko Jaric. That could save the Grizzlies a little money now and a lot of money next year … but that seems like a stretch. The Grizzlies don't need Allen and I'm sure he wouldn't be thrilled to play there.
The Thunder aren't great partners either. They don't really have any bad contracts and while Allen would give them a nice veteran perimeter presence, they're not giving up the No. 3 pick in the draft to get him.
The Kings have also reached out to the Celtics and would be willing to deal the No. 4 pick if they could get Rondo in return. The Celtics would likely want more than just the No. 4 pick for Rondo -- and the Kings might be willing to throw in either Jason Thompson or Spencer Hawes to make it happen.
That leaves the Wizards, who are really intriguing. Allen is a fit in Washington. The Wizards are a veteran team that is looking for another piece to make it a contender. Allen also is in the last year of his contract, which means the Wizards could get some long-term cap relief if they put together the right deal. Would trading Allen for Etan Thomas, Mike James, Darius Songaila and the No. 5 pick make sense for the Wizards and Celtics?
If Boston can't find a workable deal in the top five, several other teams including the Nets (11), Pistons (15), Bulls (16, 26), Wolves (18), Kings (23) and Grizzlies (27) are open to moving their picks. While those wouldn't be high enough to land Evans, it would get the Celtics a solid pick in the first.
While various sources have different players pegged, there seems to be some consensus that one player in particular -- Memphis' Tyreke Evans -- is an Ainge favorite.
If the Celtics are going to get Evans, they'll have to get somewhere in the top 10, most likely the top five.
The Grizzlies, Thunder and Wizards all have picks in the top five and have been open to swapping their picks. While it's doubtful that Rondo is their bait, Ray Allen and his expiring contract could be.
The Celtics could trade Allen to Memphis for a combination of Darko Milicic, Greg Buckner and Marko Jaric. That could save the Grizzlies a little money now and a lot of money next year … but that seems like a stretch. The Grizzlies don't need Allen and I'm sure he wouldn't be thrilled to play there.
The Thunder aren't great partners either. They don't really have any bad contracts and while Allen would give them a nice veteran perimeter presence, they're not giving up the No. 3 pick in the draft to get him.
The Kings have also reached out to the Celtics and would be willing to deal the No. 4 pick if they could get Rondo in return. The Celtics would likely want more than just the No. 4 pick for Rondo -- and the Kings might be willing to throw in either Jason Thompson or Spencer Hawes to make it happen.
That leaves the Wizards, who are really intriguing. Allen is a fit in Washington. The Wizards are a veteran team that is looking for another piece to make it a contender. Allen also is in the last year of his contract, which means the Wizards could get some long-term cap relief if they put together the right deal. Would trading Allen for Etan Thomas, Mike James, Darius Songaila and the No. 5 pick make sense for the Wizards and Celtics?
If Boston can't find a workable deal in the top five, several other teams including the Nets (11), Pistons (15), Bulls (16, 26), Wolves (18), Kings (23) and Grizzlies (27) are open to moving their picks. While those wouldn't be high enough to land Evans, it would get the Celtics a solid pick in the first.
Out of all those proposals, I find the Washington deal most intriguing. But does it make sense to trade a star for 3 role players and a pick? It seems like most of these deals never pan out. And can't we get more quality for Ray. Didn't anyone watch him play against the Bulls? He's money.
Let us know what you think in the comments.. While you ponder your comment, check out these pics of Adriana.