Danny Ainge's (not so) secret meeting with agent clearly effort to build super team of former Celtics

From RealGM.com:

Danny Ainge attend a workout with Excel Sports Management clients in New York City recently and met with prominent agent Jeff Schwartz, a league source told RealGM’s Andrew Perna. Schwartz represents [Kevin] Love, as well as Harrison Barnes, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.

Brandon Ingram, the presumed No. 2 pick in next week’s draft is also a client of Excel, but Ainge is believed to have inquired with Schwartz about whether a trade for Love could be revisited.

A sign-and-trade deal for Barnes is also something that could definitely be on Ainge's radar this offseason.  But, my guess is Danny has an altogether different plan in mind.  You see, Love and Barnes are not Schwartz's only clients.  In fact, he represents well over 50 current and former NBA players.

I'm thinking Ainge actually has an idea up his sleeve to put together a super-team of Schwartz's guys--a full roster revamp in Boston--and this meeting in New York was just to lay the groundwork.  Here are the names I'm assuming they discussed, the likely starting five for the 2016-17 Celtics:

C: Al Jefferson - Big Al is a free agent who Ainge drafted back in 2004.  Plus, he's scored 16.7 PPG for his career and was once traded for Kevin Garnett.

PF: Paul Pierce - Isn't "The Truth" the perfect small-ball power forward for Brad Stevens' system?  Yeah he's still under contract with the Clippers, but I'm betting Danny can get old buddy Doc Rivers to part with the once and future Celtics legend for nothing more than a second-round draft pick or two.

SF: Joe Johnson - Ainge is obviously mad the C's gave up on Johnson prematurely in 2002, and he's even more pissed he couldn't reacquire him this past spring.  Now Danny will get another crack at signing him.

SG: Leandro Barbosa - The Brazilian Blur has unfinished business in Boston after having his 2012-13 season cut short by a torn ACL.  He's shooting 65 percent from the floor in the NBA Finals and will be a free agent after Game 7.

PG: Jerryd Bayless -  After watching Bayless average 10.4 points and 3.1 assists with the Bucks this season, Ainge knows he should've made more of an effort to re-sign him two years ago.  Danny can atone for that mistake this summer.

6th Man: Ricky Davis - Yes, Davis is also a Schwartz client, and believe it or not, he's only 36 years old.  Ricky put up 19.7 PPG as a starter for the C's ten years ago, I'm sure he'd still be good for half that now in a bench role.

So there you have it, exactly what Ainge's meeting was about--building the 2017 Celtics reboot NBA champions.




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