Basketball analyst and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith joined Dennis & Callahan on Monday morning, and he was unsure about whether or not a deal involving Celtics coach Doc Rivers and the Clippers would get done.

With Rivers still under contract for three more years, there are potentially a lot of moving pieces in such a trade. But fortunately for the Celtics, president Danny Ainge has a ton of leverage in the negotiations.

Still, Smith pegged the chances of a trade actually going through at just 50 percent.

“Ultimately, all the cards are being held by Danny Ainge,” Smith said. “It’s a 50-50 shot either a deal gets done or Doc Rivers stays in Boston. I don’t think Doc Rivers will sit out for the year, then do television and all this other stuff. I think he’s going to stay and coach in Boston this year, or he’ll move on because Danny Ainge will see an opportunity to get young and to get a box-office attraction to some degree, if not Blake Griffin, then some quality young guys you can build around.

“Clearly, you have to go in that direction [getting younger]. If you’re Danny Ainge, it’s going to be a deal you want to make because you’re an older squad now, and it’s time to move in a different direction. Doc is the one hot commodity that he has. [Kevin Garnett] is 37. Paul Pierce is an aging 35. They’re not what they used to be, even though they can still contribute to a championship situation.

“They’re not the guys to build around anymore, and if you’re Danny Ainge you know this better than anybody. As a result, it will behoove him to get a deal done. And Doc Rivers is the one piece you have that’s an ace. You have to maximize it.”

Smith went as far to say that if Rivers indeed ends up in Los Angeles, and the Clippers hang on to Griffin and Chris Paul while getting at least one of Garnett and Pierce, they are a favorite in the Western Conference and have a chance to win it all.

What is up in the air is what the Celtics would get back in return.

Boston has to ask for Griffin before discussing center DeAndre Jordan or point guard Eric Bledsoe, Smith said. Obtaining Bledsoe would give Ainge the freedom to part with Rajon Rando, should he want to.

No matter who ends up shipping east in the potential trade, one thing is certain: The Celtics would get something good.

“It’s not going to be one of those deals where the Clippers end up getting everything they want and Boston does not,” Smith said. “Danny Ainge is too smart for that, too wise for that. That’s not going to happen. The likelihood is that he gets what he wants, at least to some strong degree. Otherwise nothing is going to happen.”

There is some worry that talks — and rumors — have already gone too far, that if everything falls through the situation is such that Rivers wouldn’t be able to coach in Boston in 2013-14, even if he has a change of heart.

Smith said that is simply not the case.

“They have an understanding with one another,” Smith said of Ainge and Rivers. “There’s nothing that’s going on that either of them doesn’t know about or haven’t talked about with one another. They’re fine.”

To hear the interview, go to the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page. For more Bruins news, visit the team page at weei.com/celtics.

As part of WEEI.com’s coverage of the 2013 NBA draft, here is one in a series of profiles of players who could be available to the Celtics when they make their lone selection at No. 16.

GIANNIS ADETOKUNBO

Position: Guard/forward

2012-13 team: Filathlitikos (Greece)

Age: 18

Height: 6-foot-9

Weight: 196 pounds

Achievements: Greek League All-Star (2013)

Key 2012-13 stats: 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks

What he brings: Adetokunbo can play any position on the floor and is extremely versatile and an explosive athlete. He is a smooth ballhandler and a smart passer who gets his teammates involved. While he is not a bad outside shooter — he shot 34 percent from 3-point range last season — he is better at getting to the basket and using his length and quickness to score from in close.

Defensively, he shows great potential, but he is not refined yet, according to Draft Express’ scouting report. Due to his lack of experience with top-level competition, he is raw defensively and needs to be more physical. However, he is a good defensive rebounder and uses his length to disrupt offenses.

Notes: Adetokunbo, whose parents fled Nigeria in 1992 for Greece, began playing basketball with his brother Thanasis in 2003. The two were spotted by Spyros Veliniatis, coach of Filathlitikos, who invited them to play for his academy after watching them play a casual game on a local court. He and his brother — who is a 6-foot-7 small forward — helped the academy get promoted six times in 10 seasons all the way up to the second-tier A2 League. The team finished one spot away from being promoted to the top-tier Greek Basket League this past season. … Adetokunbo has signed a four-year contract with Zaragoza of the Spanish league but reportedly has an affordable NBA buyout clause.

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Video: Here’s a highlight mix of Adetokunbo.

The Celtics and Clippers are “deep in discussions” about a trade that would send coach Doc Rivers and surefire Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett to Los Angeles, according to Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowksi.

Garnett would waive his no-trade clause to join Rivers in L.A., according to the report, but the C’s insistence on acquiring Eric Bledsoe in addition to the current Clippers package of DeAndre Jordan and a pair of first-round draft picks could be the last remaining hurdle of a blockbuster deal.

A swap of Garnett for Jordan and Bledsoe works under the salary cap, and the draft picks would reportedly be enough to entice the Celtics into allowing Rivers to walk from the three years and $21 million remaining on his contract and take assistant coach Tyronn Lue with him to Los Angeles.

On Saturday, Rivers and Chris Paul may discuss the All-Star point guard’s plan to re-sign with the Clippers should Garnett join him, Wojnarowski reported, but both the Celtics and their coach are willing to walk away should the deal not be finalized in the next couple days.

Long-time Celtics beat-writer Steve Bulpett calls Grande and Max to discuss Doc, the C's and what the future looks like for the Green Team.

[0:02:49] ... an app for Bernie you'd you wanna see what's out there and Doc Rivers is now. You know they're not very -- -- or Gregg Popovich anymore does not you know have this you know huge SpinRite I want as they have so the rest my life. He's moved up and he has then you wanna see what he would what he inspection in the marketplace because he's -- out. But I think you're right on target with that -- look at this team and you know Doc Rivers coming to me it was the body language. Early on and the marchers you know what docket told a lot of the people but. Just watching him and listening to him and see them on the plane. And interacting with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce that last game the body language said a lot to me about. There was something -- going on that Doc Rivers didn't feel like you know one that -- peers might not be back but to. It just didn't feel like. It was Doc -- time to say hey I'm going to be back in the building. Yeah and protects you know those things were coming when he signed a five year. Contract extension and you knew. How old Paul Pierce was I mean you know. The president had to show -- to pick and I'm pretty sure Paul and Kevin as well. ...
[0:06:02] ... in what now we're talking about almost like a player contract. Having Doc Rivers to rebuild on the -- Turk. What -- look at the Celtics the way they're constructed right now with. With Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett still appears. You know quad play under contract for next year Kevin Garnett under contract next here. This team this bill. To win around that was -- try to went around those guys. You look at the contracts that we the team down you can pretty big money for Paul Pierce big money for Kevin Garnett. But it's also the -- -- Brandon bass and Courtney Lee and Jason Terry. We're making middle or money that adds up to serious dough and they are here only because it is. They -- of their -- complementary value to a team with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett on. And you know it's hard to. -- built with -- last summer they could have altered the course of the team ...
[0:08:38] ... know if they want -- they want this guy. -- corporate what Doc Rivers we know that. The Celtics want stuff that the clippers have. The so we tried very hard to deadline to do a ...
[0:09:18] ... don't yet it's okay you come back next year and you know Paul Pierce and Kevin -- -- and if they. They bring Paul back in the last year and you know and with dirt but it's Doc Rivers is still here. You're not go you know losing -- -- early. Gut feeling. Gut -- Steve who is the coach of the Boston Celtics in October. 010. I'd I think Oprah clear I would say that the that it putting our -- the odds are still Doc Rivers because. Two to make the move that would satisfy. All parties here. Would require jumping through a lot of hoops. And although ...