Celtics team president Danny Ainge admitted that he spoke to the Rockets’ front office about a James Harden deal.
“Yeah, we had conversations regarding James, not recently but yeah, we did have conversations,” Ainge said (on 98.5 The Sports Hub). “We had numerous talks, but the price really wasn’t changing. The price was really high for us, and it was something we really didn’t want to do … I think unanimously, we decided it wasn’t time for us and it wasn’t the price.”
According to Brian Robb of the Boston Sports Journal, that price included Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart as well as draft compensation.
Houston ultimately opted for a package that included four first-round picks and four pick swaps in addition to Victor Oladipo.
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- Brooklyn had been determined to get out of Taurean Prince‘s contract and the financials were the reason he was included in the deal over Spencer Dinwiddie, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes. Dinwiddie, who is out after undergoing ACL surgery, has a $12.3 million player option for next season while Prince has a salary of $13.3 million, and the difference is amplified due to the team’s projected luxury tax status.
- The uncertainty around Kyrie Irving‘s situation has nothing to do with the Harden deal, Nets GM Sean Marks explains (via Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today). Marks added that Irving is excited to join the team, though no word on when that will be.
- The Nets aren’t done with additions. “Without a doubt the roster is not done, it’s not finalized,” Marks said (h/t Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv). “We’ll continue to try and add pieces as we go through this season,” Marks said. Brooklyn has three open roster spots after the trade.
