Feb 24, 1989
The shoe that every Celtics fan knew had to drop finally did yesterday -- right on the heads of Danny Ainge and Brad Lohaus.
They're gone, traded to the Sacramento Kings for 6-foot-9-inch forward Ed Pinckney and 7-foot center Joe Kleine.
"I thought there was a good chance something was going to happen," said Ainge, who had been a Celtic since the 1981-82 season. "We all knew the team was lacking. They got the big guys they thought they needed. A backup center was the biggest weakness on the team."
The deal was a fait accompli around 4 p.m., but it wasn't officially announced in Boston until Celtics general manager Jan Volk emerged from his office at 8:50, 10 minutes before the trading deadline. "Salary cap details," he explained. "They weren't going to stop anything, but they had to be done. It was a lot of clerical housekeeping."
Volk left the office Wednesday figuring he would not be able to do business with the Kings, with whom he had been holding major discussions since the All-Star Game. "But something happened last night," Volk said. "We were able to get it going again this morning."
In all likelihood, that "something" was the collapse of a proposed deal between the Kings and the Los Angeles Clippers. Sacramento had interest in Benoit Benjamin, and among the names being bandied about by the Kings were those of Kleine and Pinckney.
"We think these players will fill the need we have identified right now," said Volk, "and that is more big people."
Ainge has been primary trade bait for some time. As for the 24-year-old Lohaus, the 7-footer had officially been labeled a "major disappointment" this week by Volk. The second-year man, projected as a possible starter prior to the season, had instead floundered, averaging 5.7 points in 15 minutes per game. He frequently seemed lost on the floor.
Kleine, 27, is expected to provide the overworked Robert Parish with the support he needs. The burly Arkansas product has been a frequent starter during his 3 1/2-year NBA career. He is known as a player who puts in a day's work for a day's pay. Taken by the Kings in 1985 as the sixth pick in the first round, Kleine never developed into the star the Kings hoped he would be.
One thing is certain: Joe Kleine will not forget the date Feb. 23, for he not only changed uniforms yesterday, but he also became a first-time father. His wife, Dana, gave birth to 7-pound 9-ounce Daniel Christopher in Sacramento.
Pinckney, who will turn 26 on March 27, is the type of so-called "lively body" the Celtics were seeking to import into the program when they drafted the ill-fated Len Bias. Pinckney is a runner and a dunker with a career field goal success rate of 55 percent, a figure compiled mainly on inside maneuvering and fast break finishing. If the Celtics truly are serious about becoming an up-tempo team, Pinckney could have a major role.
Ainge had been trade bait for a long time. "Kevin McHale and I talked about it all the time," Ainge said. "We knew if something happened, it would involve one of us."
But it was far less likely to be McHale, because of the inherent problems caused by the indecipherable (to ordinary folk) salary cap. Moreover, it was obvious that coach Jimmy Rodgers was somewhat less enamored of Ainge's game than his immediate predecessor, although Ainge insisted there was no real rift between the two.
"Not at all," Ainge declared.
Not even over Ainge's use of the three-point shot?
"Jimmy never really said anything directly about it," Ainge explained, "other than that he wanted us to move in closer sometimes. We had a somewhat different philosophy, I'll admit. I feel the spacing is important, and I could even drive better from the three-point arc. He didn't necessarily disagree, and he never once criticized me for taking the three-point shot. There was that one well-documented night in Charlotte, but I wasn't the only one he yelled at that night."
"Danny has been a tremendous player for us," said Rodgers, "a real asset to the team. Danny is a great person, and we are sorry to see him go."
As the team's play fluctuated wildly this season in the absence of Larry Bird, pressure mounted on the Celtics to do something in the trade mart. Several NBA sources confirm that the Celtics were actively marketing Ainge. Meanwhile, another source points out that Ainge's representative, Mike Carey, had been sending out feelers in a move to gauge interest in his client.
Turn the clock back a year, and it appeared that Ainge was on his way to being a classic Celtic lifer. Signed in 1981 after a bitter trial with the Toronto Blue Jays ended with the baseball team proving its legal point, Ainge matured into a tough two-way guard whose career peaked in 1988 with his selection to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. He became one of the great exponents of the three-point shot, establishing a league record for successful three-pointers with 148 while scoring a career-high 15.7 points per game.
"I always thought I'd be here my whole career," Ainge said. "I never seriously thought about being traded until this year. But with the needs of the team, and the age, something had to happen.
"My years in Boston were great," he continued. "I wouldn't trade them for anything. I've got two championship rings, which nobody can take away from me. I feel very fortunate to be drafted by the Celtics. I have no bad feelings toward anyone."
Ainge, who has three years remaining on his contract, spoke encouragingly about his move to Sacramento. "I know people won't believe this," he said, "but this could be a positive move for me."
Because all principals must pass physicals before suiting up for their new teams, none are likely to be playing until next week. The Celtics have games against Milwaukee tonight in Hartford and the Knicks in New York Sunday afternoon, while the Kings will face the Lakers in Inglewood, Calif., tonight and the SuperSonics in Seattle tomorrow evening.
Because Volk was sequestered for so long, speculation grew that another deal was forthcoming. But this is it. The Celtics are committed to moving on without Danny Ainge. You think this isn't a transient business? From the 1986 championship team, only four men are left.
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