Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge was adamant Wednesday in a radio interview with Boston’s WEEI that he is not close and never was close to joining Philadelphia and Sacramento in a three-team deal that would bring Andres Nocioni to the Celts.
So unless that changes, Philadelphia and Sacramento will have to find another third party to help them complete a discussed deal that would essentially swap Samuel Dalembert for Kenny Thomas.
ESPN.com reported Tuesday that the Sixers and Kings — in talks described as exploratory — tried to recruit Boston to be the third team in a deal that would send Philadelphia’s Dalembert to Sacramento and Thomas’ $8.8 million expiring contract from the Kings back to the Sixers.
According to NBA front-office sources, Philadelphia and Sacramento initially discussed a deal featuring Dalembert and Thomas, but the Kings wanted the Sixers to take back Nocioni instead of Thomas’ cap-friendly contract. The search then began for a third team, and the Celtics were inevitably targeted after Boston’s widely reported interest in Nocioni around the trade deadline in February after Sacramento had acquired the rugged Argentine.
Ainge, though, insists that he is not talking with either team.
As our initial report stated, just as in February, Nocioni’s contract would make it very hard for the Celts to join in even if Ainge wanted to proceed. The Celts have had a need for a versatile forward since the free-agent departure of James Posey, but Nocioni has two seasons worth $13.5 million on his contract after this season as well as a team option worth $7.5 million for 2012-13. That’s a big expenditure for another role player after Boston just signed Rajon Rondo to a lucrative extension and with decisions about the futures of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen looming.
Yet Philadelphia remains determined to move Dalembert, who’s earning just over $12 million this season and is scheduled to earn $12.9 million next season. Dalembert’s agent, Marc Cornstein, has had the blessing of Sixers management since February to help assemble a workable deal after the Sixers said they would try to honor Dalembert’s request to be traded.
The Kings have shown a fluctuating level of interest in adding Dalembert as a third big man to a frontcourt rotation headlined by youngsters Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes. To make a three-teamer with Boston work, Sacramento would have been required to send Thomas to Philadelphia along with Boston’s Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine. The Kings would have received Dalembert and Boston’s J.R. Giddens, with the Celtics getting Nocioni.
One source close to the situation insists that Philly is still prepared to move Dalembert — if it can fetch payroll relief through expiring contracts in return — even after the recent injury to Marreese Speights sliced into the Sixers’ frontcourt depth.

His only hot spot shooting jumpers is the right elbow area.

Iguodala does shoot threes better from the top of the key.

Suede, no matter how you look at it those two dudes can’t shoot.  Haha.

But what they do know how to do is draw the defense which works directly with Kapono.

When Iguodala drives he draws defenders.  When Lou drives he draws help and to a lesser degree so does Thad (to bad he has no clue what passing is).  And for whatever reason teams have been doubling Brand.

The problem has been three fold in that regard:

1. Not enough block touches for Brand
2. Kapono isn’t on the floor with Brand to receive kick outs
3. They bury Kapono out of sight during Brand’s post ups

That second point hurts even more for one gigantic reason:

This team has sticky hands. So even if the double team forced a defensive rotation we don’t swing the ball quickly or sharply enough to take advantage of it.

Actually this give me an idea for a post. haha