Bulpett: C’s Stars Were “Consulted and Aligned” About Trading Kendrick Perkins

Posted by Brian Robb on Feb 26, 2011 1702017 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2011%2F02%2F26%2Fbulpett-cs-stars-were-consulted-and-aligned-about-trading-kendrick-perkins%2FBulpett%3A+C%27s+Stars+Were+%22Consulted+and+Aligned%22+About+Trading+Kendrick+Perkins2011-02-26+20%3A22%3A48Brian+Robbhttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D17020

There’s been plenty of fallout and mixed opinions in the past two days regarding the trade of starting center Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

Whatever your opinion may be about the move on the court, one thing all C’s fans could probably agree upon was just how blindsided everyone in the locker room was about the drastic move. Today however, in a Boston Herald column by Celtics veteran beat writer Steve Bulpett,  a strong inference is made, several paragraphs into the article, citing a player source or “dribbler” stating the C’s “stars” were consulted about the big deal. Here’s the excerpt:

The deal that sent Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City was, depending on your perspective, bold or insane.

Late Thursday night, after eight Celts and a D-League call-up who made it to Denver an hour and a half before tipoff lost to the Nuggets, Paul Pierce shook his head.

“You hope that Danny and Doc (Rivers) know what they’re doing,” he said.

You hope the players do, as well. As one dribbler admitted, the stars were consulted and aligned.

This is a very strong revelation considering just how crushed and shocked the Celtics locker room appeared in the locker room after the deal and loss Thursday night in Denver. The players clearly missed Perk as a person and that showed in their genuine reactions, but for them to go along and align behind the deal from as a basketball perspective is not something most Boston fans would have expected.

Former Boston Celtics beat reporter and current Yahoo! Sports reporter Marc Spears, a guy with some of the best sources in the game, laughed off Bulpett’s report that the players knew about the deal and approved of it, while appearing on the Dan Shaughnessy Show with Adam Jones on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston

Adam Jones: What about this notion in today’s Boston Herald that Danny Ainge ran this by the stars and they were aligned and gave it their approval?

Marc Spears: “[Laughs for about five seconds] That’s why KG was on video crying right? No I don’t think so.”

Dan Shaughnessy: “So you’re not buying the other starters approved of this?”

Spears: “With all due respect to my former competitors, I don’t buy that.”

Marc Spears Dismisses Steve Bulpett Report by BRobb7

It’s safe to say more questions will be asked of the players on this topic, who aren’t likely to admit publicly that they approved of dealing their former teammate and brother. Part of me believes Bulpett, given the veterans in the locker room, where reportedly there have been a lot of “player signings” (guys signed who the players approved of/wanted) over the years. To make a move like this, I find it hard to believe Ainge didn’t consult with the starters on it.

Still, a look at those reactions from Thursday also makes you believe Spears who dismissed the report. Those guys were clearly crushed about the deal, and didn’t look like they knew it was happening.

The truth shouldn’t matter much going forward as the deal is done now and the team will have to look forward without Perkins. Still, it’s interesting to wonder whether the players gave Danny the go ahead about a move as big as this.