it is pretty surprising how the C's fans still love Ainge and the front office, when taking an objective look over the last few years it seems they had a few gift assets and wasted many of them away. Ainge's problem seems to be that he doesn't take any trade unless it is overwhelmingly in favor of him. He seems to scared to take a chance or possibly lose a trade. But for whatever reason, the PR up there is strong and every trade piece they didn't get they seem to get free passes on, and somehow all the blame of the team falls on Kyrie Irving.
I get not paying as much as LAL did for AD, no doubt. But all that Ainge kept saying for the past 2 years when asked why he didn't make certain trades or go after guys was that he was waiting for AD. Granted LAL sacrificed the future of the team for him, but then Ainge shouldn't have put all of his faith in just getting AD. Time will tell, but i think the upside ceiling is gone from the Celtics. I think they battle for 5th to 7th seed for the next few years, and maybe it is possible we see Tatum or Brown demand a trade from there.
I agree with you Conley would be a nice fit for them, but they will need to make the salaries work. Not sure what other option the Celtics can hope for. Beal will seek more than Ainge would want to pay and another team will give it to them. I think one of Ainge's biggest mistakes is not moving any of these draft picks for this year already. Maybe they can move a pick or 2 for something still.
In the end, they have 1 draft pick asset and a few guys that they could move in trades. But looking at all of the assets they have acquired since that Nets trade, and where they are at now, i would have to think most Celtics' fans would at least be questioning or wondering what the plan has been. It seems that some C's fans do which is nice, but many keep drinking the Kool Aid and are just saying that things are fine with Brown and Tatum going forward.