Report: Danny Ainge asks Isaiah Thomas for input on draft, free agent targets
No one is sure how aggressive Danny Ainge will be in free agency, the draft, and on the trade market this offseason. The Celtics are a year away from cashing in on the draft picks they acquired from Brooklyn in the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade.
A new report from the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach indicates Isaiah Thomas might be the closest thing to untouchable in Ainge’s trophy case of assets.
“Danny said if there’s any free agent out there I’m interested in, to let him know,’’ Thomas told Himmelsbach. “That has me excited. For him to ask for my input means a lot, because it means I’m definitely, right now, a part of the future, and they also value your word and what you think about the game of basketball. It means a lot, and it’s a mutual respect we have. Now, hopefully, we can get a few guys.’’
When Ainge swung a deadline day deal for Thomas in February, he finally acquired the point guard he’d been trying to woo for months, if not years.
“I’ve always wanted Isaiah,’’ Ainge told Steve Bulpett of the Herald at the time of the trade. “Isaiah was my first call last summer in free agency. Isaiah was a guy I liked in the draft. Isaiah was a guy that was part of discussions when he was at Sacramento.’’
Thomas averaged 19 points and 5.4 assists in 26 minutes per game off the bench for the Celtics last season. Over the course of the full season between Phoenix and Boston, his 30.6 points per 48 minutes ranked 11th in the entire league.
Thomas also established himself as the Celtics go-to guy in the fourth quarter and was arguably the team’s best player in the playoffs, averaging 17.5 points and 7.0 assists per contest.
When asked what he advised Ainge to do this offseason, Thomas echoed the sentiments of many fans in requesting a rim protector for the Celtics defense.
“A defensive-minded player,’’ he told Himmelsbach. “It’d be nice to get one of those in the draft. A lot of the big men out there could definitely help us out. But I know Danny is always up to something.’’
Ainge is one of the most active roster builders in the NBA and will have plenty on his plate this offseason. And while he’s going to be “up to’’ a lot of things, dangling Thomas on the trade market doesn’t appear to be one of those options.
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