JO to Toronto done deal.

[chakdaddy]

A poor man's KG for Nance, good deal for both teams. Although Toronto still shouldn't scare us. JO/Bosh is a lot of talent up front...but aren't they kind of similar? I'm sure they can coexist though. They were overloaded at PG and cashed one in for a big man, it's a good deal. And the Pacers get a solid PG to FINALLY replace Tinsley plus a mid 1st rounder. Not bad. I thought JO was going to go dirt cheap - like to the Cavs for a low #1 and cap fodder.

[Gomes3PC]

If this trade goes down, it's a slam dunk for Toronto. The Raptors are going to give some match up troubles in the frontcourt to many a team next year –including maybe the Celtics.

Jamaal Tinsley and T.J. Ford are very similar players in that they are both the injury-riddled type, they both want to start, they have troubles shooting the ball (although both seem to have improved as of late), and they can dish out a lot of assists when they are in the mood.

I assume Larry Bird must have a trade ready to happen to ship Tinsley out of town in exchange for something good. Otherwise, I'm not sure what he's thinking.

The difference between Tinsley and Ford is twofold. One, Ford gives a crap. Two, while he is still a suspect outside shooter, he picks his spots where to shoot (ie- not 3 point range) and takes it to the hoop at a good clip (34%) and with a good success rate (52% eFG). Tinsley meanwhile shoots 85% jumpers and hits at less than 40% eFG. Just pathetic.

Bird is probably kicking himself for a lot more reasons than missed Jermaine O'Neal trades. Like acquiring Mike Dunleavy and having to take on Troy Murphy in the process. Or giving a turd like Tinsley monster bucks. Or developing a team with simultaneously no identity and no direction.

[grantlongforpresident]

good trade for both teams. i hate jo with a passion, but ford and rasho are decent players. Meanwhile Toronto gets a "big name" and mabye that will wake them up. JO has skills, i just can't stand him. Indiana needed to dump JO, he was an injured overpaid malcontent who, in recent times, hasn't done jack.

Boston is still waaaay better then both of them.

[Celtics_Champs]

I know we all hate toronto and all that ****...

I don't hate Toronto or their fans. I live in Canada, which means that I get to make fun of them to their faces (always in a friendly manner). How great is that?

I don't really hate them either, but their constant bitching out the refs in which a game they were not involved in got me pissed. That asterisk sig

[Tirion]

If this trade goes down, it's a slam dunk for Toronto. The Raptors are going to give some match up troubles in the frontcourt to many a team next year –including maybe the Celtics.

Jamaal Tinsley and T.J. Ford are very similar players in that they are both the injury-riddled type, they both want to start, they have troubles shooting the ball (although both seem to have improved as of late), and they can dish out a lot of assists when they are in the mood.

I assume Larry Bird must have a trade ready to happen to ship Tinsley out of town in exchange for something good. Otherwise, I'm not sure what he's thinking.

What? Toronto gets absolutely HOSED in this trade. O'Neal is done. D. O. N. E. Last time he played more than 70 games in a season was when Antawn Walker played in 2002 All-Star Game. He's 30. He's egregorously overpaid. He's soft. He's injury prone. TJ is injury prone too, but at least he's 25, played 75 games last year and has a nice contract. And Pacers also gets Rasho, who's a servicable bigman from the bench (he actually started for Tor most of the season) AND a No. 17 pick to boot (so they have TWO picks in this year draft). Talk about ownage.

[Tirion]

By taking on the expiring contracts of Nesterovic and Baston and taking back $2.5 million less than O'Neal makes to begin with, the Pacers put themselves in position to be about $16 million under the cap next summer (depending on where the cap number comes in, which we won't know until next July). They can pursue a big free agent (or take one in a trade) to team up with Ford, Danny Granger and the draft picks, and they'll have the next generation of Pacers up and running.

Great deal by Bird.

[canguy20m]

What? Toronto gets absolutely HOSED in this trade. O'Neal is done. D. O. N. E

he's about 2 years older than P.Gasol and averaged 19/8 and almost 3 bpg .485 shooting in about 33 minutes per game the month before he got sat out injured. When he came back at the end of the season the team was more interested in getting the younger players more shots and playing time.

he doesn't need to play PF to put up great numbers like C.Bosh, C.Villanueva and that will help the lineup out a lot.

[threrf23]

If JO can return to early career form, Raptors potentially have three top-30 players in JO/Bosh/Calderon, so I agree its a good trade for them.

[celticfan42487]

Great deal for Toronto. KG is considered a soft shooting big man too.

Bosh did great in teh playoffs drawing fouls.

A great PG,PF,C now that will make TOR a dangerous team.

They still suck at the wings and overall will be a lesser version of this years Lakers(minus Bynumn) with a bigger injury concern. But that's a team that won the Western Conference last year so TOR is nothing to sniff at anymore.

[ParticleMan]

Good deal for TOR assuming JO stays healthy (i think he will be miraculously healthy this year too). They finally get some interior D that they sorely need, and they have no dropoff in PG from Ford to Calderon. The #17 pick wasn't going to be an impact player.

Not a terrible deal for Indy tho. They need a real PG. Ford is probably as good as you could get for JO right now. They'll have a nice uptempo, 3-ball shooting team next year.

I don't think either of these teams are a threat to us in any case.

[MyInsatiableOne]

With this trade, Toronto has dreams of hanging another one of these in their hallowed rafters someday:

[RamonSessions]

Man you is jealous of that frountcourt, it'll own ya'll Celts and ya won't even be in the same arena as the Ill Mil when we trade ball hoggin' booty backcourt of ours, start Ramon 'memo' Sessions with the man down low Andrew Bogut- #1 center in the Eastern Conference next year! mark it down, mark it down.

[celticfan42487]

I'm not quite sure what you just typed but I'll assume you are the Mang of the TOR board.

Bosh,J'Oneal will be a good tandeumn. But I don't expect in a 7 game sereis to have them offensively own Perk,KG. It's defentily a very good frontcourt though and will outproduce ours. Unfortnately for you though I think Rondo,Ray,Pierce will be able to make up the diffrence between Caldy,someone,someone.

[RamonSessions]

Avid Bucks fan here, not Mang--- seriously. Re-read the section about how the Mil Bucks storm back next year without making moves ala Celtics of 07-08- and actually build a future franchise, not that winning the Finals is no accomplishment--

[celticfan42487]

I'm sorry I was expecting it to be a TOR fan, and teh Il Mil threw me off as well as ball hoging backcout. I was reading it and like lil mil isn't some kind of english words, maybe canadian slang. And ball hogging backout? both BOS and TOR has some of the least ball hoggers in the NBA so I just have no idea what this guy/girl is typing.

I should of picked up on it with the #11 Center in the east next year Bogut as a MIL fan.

[RamonSessions]

our back court bud, has the largest ball hogs to play the game, mike redd/ mo williams are going to go and Ramon Sessions is going to be a stud. , I wasn't attacking rondo/ ray---- that's an amazing back court, no way I'm dissing them or calling them ball hogs.

[greenbeans]

what the hell happened here?? lol

[CeltsfaninDC]

Avid Bucks fan here, not Mang--- seriously. Re-read the section about how the Mil Bucks storm back next year without making moves ala Celtics of 07-08- and actually build a future franchise, not that winning the Finals is no accomplishment--

You didn't actually just say that its a bigger accomplishment to "build a future franchise" then winning the title, did you? Can you come back here in March and tell me how you feel about that "future franchise"? It was so much fun hearing from Knicks fans who told us last summer how Zach was going to just kill KG and the Cs had no chance. I think having a delusional Bucks fan would make a nice addition.

Thanks, that was my biggest laugh of the day.

[CeltsfaninDC]

The Raps board is being unusually realistic about this acquisition. I'm glad they understand what they are getting with JO.

[RamonSessions]

You're right I didn't say that it was a larger accomplishment to do so, that's why I made the statement that I wasn't dismissing winning a championship, I just stated that I'd feel better basically building from a fan standpoint, cause I'd love to watch a team grow/ mature/ work for it over a period of time, that's all. It's really just a preference as far as the way I'd like MIL to build their team-

Zach Randolph wasn't going to work out from day one, I wouldn't equate my statements on the Bucks with those idiot NYC fans--- NYC is supposed to get better every year according to ESPN, let me know when that happens--- unless the NBA works them up magic to catapult em to the top, its gonna be a longer than overnight process.

in all seriousness I'd mark the C's down for another year or two in the Finals + winning them.