Chad Ford Buzz: Celtics Want Tyreke Evans?

by Chris Alvino on June 12th, 2009 at 6:55 pm

There have been rumors floated that the Celtics were in contact with the Wizards for the fifth overall pick in the draft.  According to Chad Ford, Danny Ainge has his sights set on Tyreke Evans.  With Ray Allen‘s name floated in rumors, and the Wizards’ clear hole at the 2, can there be a match?  Ray Allen with Arenas, Jamison and Butler would be 4 all-star caliber talents in the starting rotation. 

Every year, there are booms and bust in the draft.  There are no exceptions to that rule.  Ray Allen is beginning to show his age a bit.  But make no mistake about it, Allen can still light up the nets on any night.  The guy is still a capable 20 ppg scorer in this league.  When given ample rest, a fresh Ray Allen is a baller.  Will that 5th overall pick give the same kind of boost?  Ford mentions that the Wizards would love to get their hands on Manu Ginobli, but if I was running that team, Allen would be a better target to chase.  Allen has a better track record of staying healthy than does Manu.  For a team that was completely hamstrung by injuries last year, why would the Wizards want another potential injury risk?

I doubt that the Celtics would want to take back Jamison’s contract, so they would have to live with the pick and a few expiring deals.  The Celtics need more bench help, and a trade with the Wizards could potentially give depth to their roster.  But to deal away Allen would be a drastic move.  The Big 3 is still good enough to win a championship.  But if Ainge thinks that Rondo’s role can continue to increase to the point where he is a major piece along with Pierce and Garnett, and if he believes that Evans can step in immediately and start in Allen’s place, finding pieces for the future might not be such a bad idea.

Allen to the Wizards would be an extremely interesting deal.  I still believe, and will continue to believe, that a deal for Amare would be the smartest thing to do for the Wizards.  But a trade takes at least two to tango.  On draft night, the Suns might not want to deal Amare.  Allen, if he can sign an extension at a moderate price tag, would be a nice consolation prize.

Ford is also reporting that BJ Mullens has dropped out of the big New Jersey workout this weekend as a result of a promise in the top 16.  We have heard that the Knicks were interested in him, but he CANNOT be the pick at 8!  I am not sure if his agent is bluffing.  No team in the top 10 figures to be a fit.  Neither does NJ, Charlotte or Chicago.  Perhaps Indiana, Phoenix (I doubt it with Lopez rotting on their bench), or Detroit?  I doubt it, but who knows?

Ford wrote a very interesting piece, and I recommend you all checking it out.

About Chris Alvino

Chris Alvino grew up in Crestwood, NY. He graduated from Regis High School in 2005. There he played both basketball and baseball. Chris is currently a student at Boston College, where he practices with the varsity Women's Basketball Team (... seriously). Chris has been a Knicks' fan for years and can literally talk about them all day long, every day of the week. Chris enjoys writing on this blog and seeing what everyone out there has to say about it. View all posts by Chris Alvino →
  • knicks55

    ha funny guy BJ Mullens, u are not going in top 10, prob not even top 16, u make me chuckle…

    Allen to the wiz pretty much could kill the celtics bc ur trading a pick with high talent but u nvr no for a premier scorer who pretty much got u by the first round, but sucked one n the second round

  • Magik_Trick

    Mullens is NOT going in the top 10, but dont be surprised if he goes earlier than you expect, and with Thabeet not sliding that far, wouldnt be surprised to see a team reach for him.

    And Allen to the Wiz is great for Washington and DUMB for Boston, and since Boston was the one pursuing the trade is quite interesting…the Wiz sound like a guarantee to trade that 5th pick on draft day

  • CircleLimit4

    I could see Detroit taking Mullens but there seems to be better options.

  • slambam

    All this trade talk is getting me HYPED for draft night. If Boston believes Tyreke could contribute immediately, even if not at the level of Ray Allen, then it’s not a terrible deal for them. The Big 3 are all aging, and Evans could be a real good years after they’re all gone. However, they must REALLY like Evans to do the deal.

  • Cheech

    1. maybe i am missing something here, but when was the last time that 4 guys who need the ball in their hands coexisting to a point that they were a championship team??? Gilbert is a point guard in name only. that guy is a black hole. Butler is a good player, but he is a perimeter scorer. JAmison likes to score in the post but he also shoots a lot of threes. And ray allen is purely a shooter, as we all know. I mean if they want to just run up the court and chuck then fine, but there is not enough basketballs to go around for that. Plus one of there best young players, nick young, is also a black hole who shoots the ball all the time…..

    2. I dont want tyreke on the knicks and i want curry or holliday. So anybody who picks before us who us who is gonna take someone other than those two is good with me. Let this trade happen, so BOS can take evans. Let GS take jennings. Let OKC take thabust (as mucha calls him). And let curry slip to us please!!!

    3. Even tho i dont want evans on the knicks, i can not lie, the guy has huge potential. And i feel that he would prosper with a good team with strong leaders like the celtics. As tommy dee often says, the situation a player is drafted into is just as important as the players skills, as evidenced by guys like Rondo.

    So i hope this happens so we can get curry. But i dont want to see another star blossom on the celtics, our current most hated rival.

  • dan

    Hey TKB –

    I got two questions unrelated to the present topic. However, I was not sure how to get these questions to you otherwise.

    #1 — I was wondering if there are any statistics to predict the quality of an NBA draft pick? Like, in the NFL they use a formula that includes completion percentage, career starts, and “something else” to predict the quality of incoming college QBs. Are there similar models for NBA players at each position?

    #2 — What do you know about NBA teams’ interest in Henk Norel? I really think he would work well as a PF in the D’Antoni system. Any word that the Knicks might be interested?

    Here is some info from draftexpress.com

    Henk Norel, 7-0, 7-1 wingspan, 236 pounds
    DKV Joventut, Netherlands, 1987

    After an extremely impressive showing at last year’s Reebok Eurocamp, Henk Norel took somewhat of a step backwards in this his draft-eligible year, struggling to get back in the same rhythm after an injury plagued season. Norel looked a lot more tentative than we remembered him, not running the floor quite as well or doing as good a job crashing the glass. Hit perimeter jumper wasn’t falling, and he didn’t finish particularly well around the basket. Considering his status as a hustling role-player, he’s obviously not as interesting for teams if he isn’t doing all those things. Nevertheless, Norel still showed sparks of being the same player we saw and really liked early this season and in last year’s Eurocamp, and it’s not out of the question that he regains that same form once he shakes off the rust he accumulated over the past few months. He’s still a tall and very mobile big man with good length and great energy, and he could definitely develop into a solid rotation player over the next few years.

    http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Henk-Norel-1156/

  • slambam

    Is that Norel guy the guy Rubio tosses all thos alley oops in those youtube videos? I noticed it was the same guy in most of the videos.

  • Magik_Trick

    Off-Topic, but thought that I should show

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjBZo9055XA

    Jrue Holiday says he didnt play the point in high school, and we know he didnt play it in college, so how does he plan on playing it in the NBA…

  • Chris Alvino

    Dan- First of all, I will be honest with you in saying that I do not know anything about Norel. I do not know the international talent all that well overall. Tommy or some of the other guys might know a bit more, but I do not know anything about him. Sorry, Dan.

    On your first question, I am not quite sure if I understand it. But the NFL uses its combine as a major factor in deciding where to take a player (that process is overblown sometimes). For the NBA, teams will look at the combine numbers a lot to see measurements and times in drills. However, teams will also consider a player’s play on the court more than anything. Pre-draft workouts are meant to give GMs and personnel a close up look at a player. Remember, GMs look for basketball players, not necessarily 5 star athletes

    Take Steph Curry for an example. Walsh watched him play at Davidson. That was the first step. Then Walsh watched Curry perform next to other PGs at the combine. Size for Curry was probably not as much of an issue because he will play the PG spot in the NBA. Whether he is 6’2 or 6’3 is not really an issue. Then of course Walsh brought in Curry this week to watch him go up against another top prospect in Jrue Holiday. Walsh and D’Antoni have to see a player before taking him (presumably).

    But t wrap it up, GMs look at size, quickness, athleticism, and their play on the court to judge not only how good a player is at the moment, but also a player’s potential. There is no pure science in determining who will be successful. Not to my knowledge at least.

    Dan, I am not sure if that helps at all. Again, I was not completely sure on what you meant.

  • Chris Alvino

    Henk Norel from ESPN.com:

    Positives:

    # Long, athletic big man
    # Excellent motor
    # Runs the floor well and attacks the glass
    # Great hustle player
    # Some good moves around the basket
    # Solid mid range shooter

    Negatives:

    # Needs to add lots of strength
    # Gets pushed around in the paint
    # Limited production for a 21 year old
    # Struggles as a defender

    Summary: Apr 20 Update: While Norel has some things you love about him as a player, he has a long ways to go before he’s a NBA prospect. He needs to add strength and have a few productive seasons in Europe first. The reports about him being a first round pick in December look pretty exaggerated right now. However, with a few more years of seasoning, he could be a legit NBA prospect. The team that drafts him will just have to be patient.

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