Ainge: Nothing but love for IT
CELTICS NOTEBOOK
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Danny Ainge said yesterday that he loves Isaiah Thomas, even if the Celtics president of basketball operations tamped down his feelings long enough to include the beloved player in the August trade for Kyrie Irving.
And the now-Cleveland Cavaliers guard clearly isn’t in a forgiving mood, as evidenced by his interview with Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins. Thomas said that though his eventual return to Boston with the Cavaliers will be “all love,” that affection won’t be extended to the man who traded him as part of a league-shaking package for Irving.
“I might not ever talk to Danny again. That might not happen,” Thomas told Jenkins. “I’ll talk to everybody else. But what he did, knowing everything I went through, you don’t do that, bro. That’s not right. I’m not saying eff you. But every team in this situation comes out a year or two later and says, ‘We made a mistake.’ That’s what they’ll say, too.”
Thomas was referring to his ability to make the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns both regret trading him. His professed love for Celtics fans aside, Thomas clearly has the same plan for his most recent former team once he returns sometime in the new year from a torn labrum in his right hip.
Ainge sympathizes, even if he has no regrets.
“That’s the hard part of the job,” Ainge said at yesterday’s Shamrock Foundation charity golf tournament in Plymouth. “I know there’s a lot of feelings that go on when these types of things happen. I was a player who was traded twice, so I understand his sentiments. But you guys know how much I love Isaiah. He’s a great kid, and I wish him the best.”
Ainge said he hasn’t talked with Thomas since the night of the trade, and has no idea if they will talk anytime soon.
“I would try to, but I have no idea,” Ainge said. “That takes two people. He obviously said some things today. He has some strong feelings, strong emotions and I understand them. I think there’s just feelings there. There’s emotions. I think everybody understands it.”
Ainge was asked if Thomas’ desire to remain a Celtic was a compliment to the organization.
“He was a great Celtic and I think everybody who watched him play and was in the locker room with him knows how great he was. He’ll be part of Celtic history forever.”
Thomas also told Jenkins of a text he received from Brad Stevens after the trade, with the Celtics coach saying, “I’ve been looking at this wall for five hours trying to figure out what to say to you.”
Last night, Stevens, when asked about Thomas’ vow not to talk to Ainge, said, “I’m sure Isaiah knows how I feel about him and how Danny feels about him.”
Smart on clock
Ainge said he has held conversations, as opposed to negotiations, with Marcus Smart’s agents regarding a rookie contract extension. If the sides don’t reach agreement by Monday night’s deadline, Smart will become a restricted free agent next summer.
Asked if more talks could be forthcoming, Ainge said, “That doesn’t mean anything more than I’m not going to talk about it. I love Marcus. He’s had a great training camp, had a great summer, and I look forward to him having the best season of his career.”
Smart, however, isn’t sure what Ainge means by “conversations.” He knows what he hasn’t heard.
“Danny called us today and said he would get back to us, but we haven’t talked about anything — no numbers, nothing,” Smart said . ...
Cavaliers star LeBron James’ status for next Tuesday’s opener against the Celtics is up in the air thanks to a sprained left ankle. James didn’t practice yesterday and was ruled out of Cleveland’s preseason finale tomorrow night at Orlando.
Morris joins in
The Celtics pulled out a 108-100 win against the Charlotte Hornets after first blowing a 22-point lead in the exhibition finale.
In his first run in a C’s uniform, Marcus Morris scored seven points on 3-for-6 shooting in 11 minutes off the bench. He’s in a role slightly foreign to his wing-oriented career as a smallish power forward.
“I feel it’s better for me because there’s really no pressure on me. I’m just out there playing,” Morris said. “Not really worried. It ain’t like it’s my first game ever in the NBA. But the start of the season is very important, so I wanted to be ready to get off to a good start.”
Stevens stayed with his starters longer than in the previous three exhibition games, with Irving (16 points, 10 assists, 7-for11 shooting) dazzling the sparse road crowd with his hesitation dribble, Al Horford (15 points, 6-for-7 shooting, eight rebounds) logging his usual seamless game and Gordon Hayward (13 points, 5-for-13) heating up after a slow start. The C’s shot 50 percent (16-for32) on 3’s, with nine players hitting at least one . . . .
Aron Baynes, rehabilitating a hyperextended left knee, didn’t make the trip.