ESPNBoston's Peter May checks in with a great read on the decisions that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge faces as the Feb. 18 trade deadlines nears:
There is not a trace of concern in the voice of Danny Ainge. A week before the Feb. 18 trading deadline, the Boston Celtics' GM insists he is not trying to trade Ray Allen. That's his story, and he's sticking to it. But, he added, if it came to that, if a deal crossed his desk that he liked, he'd do so in a nanosecond.
Off the court, Ainge runs the Celtics the same way he ran them on the court -- in an utterly fearless fashion. After all, this is the man who traded for Ricky Davis when the coaching staff begged him not to do it. This is the man who traded for Antoine Walker after Walker called him "a snake" for dealing him away the first time.
So you think Ainge is losing any sleep over what he might do with Allen? Is he worried about getting value for this likely Hall of Famer before he leaves via free agency or simply breaks down? It's a conundrum all teams face when their core players get old -- remember the Bulls? -- and this one is perhaps a bit harder because Ainge brought Allen to Boston, and Allen has been a consummate professional. "Sentimentality does play a role," Ainge admitted. "But my obligation is to put the best team I can on the floor."
Click HERE to read the full story.