Danny Ainge is probably a terror on a used-car lot or in a second-hand clothing store. This is a man who can work a bargain.

The latest deal for Ainge is Sam Cassell, who fills the glaring need for a backup point guard on the otherwise loaded Boston roster. Rajon Rondo is still the starting point, a spot the 22-year-old has rightfully earned with his playmaking and defense. But Cassell, 38, who signed with the Celtics on Tuesday, can provide championship experience and guidance off the bench as a true point guard, something Eddie House and Tony Allen are not.

Cassell's qualities deserve a closer look, but we'll get to that later. What's more striking is the price. Sure, the Celtics will have to pay Cassell, but they didn't have to give up a single prospect for him. Just like they didn't have to give up anything for power forward P.J. Brown, the 14-year veteran they signed last week. Rather than trading for a veteran point, Ainge shrewdly waited for Cassell and the Los Angeles Clippers to agree to a buyout.

Teams looking to add pieces for a championship run must carefully weigh the price, typically in prospects, against the value of the (usually) short-term additions they want. Ainge got what he wanted in Cassell, and to a lesser degree in Brown, and didn't give up any of the future. Doesn't get much more bargain than that.

Sure, Cassell and Brown are both 38. But consider that the Mavericks gave up 25-year-old point-guard-of-the future Devin Harris and 26-year-old DeSagana Diop, an active defensive presence in the post, to land Jason Kidd, who turns 35 on March 23. The Suns parted with 29-year-old All-Star Shawn Marion to acquire Shaquille O'Neal, who will be a well-aged 36 by the time the playoffs start. And the Cavaliers traded Larry Hughes, 29, and Drew Gooden, 26, to get Ben Wallace, 33, Joe Smith, 32, and Wally Szczerbiak, 31.

Cassell and Brown are hardly the equal of Shaq or Kidd, or even the combo of Wallace, Smith and Szczerbiak. But the Celtics didn't need to make drastic changes. They have the best record in the league (47-12). They already have a triumvirate of superstars in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen who provide diverse offensive options and leadership. And they're in the East. Phoenix and Dallas felt like they had to do something extreme to make a move in the wildly competitive West, while the Cavs have long been looking to upgrade the talent around LeBron James.

This isn't the first time Ainge has treated player acquisition like the clearance rack at Marshall's. When he landed Ray Allen from Seattle on draft night, Ainge had to give up Szczerbiak, Delonte West and the No. 5 pick, a valued commodity to be sure, but not the most valuable in his wallet. He deftly hung on to Al Jefferson and the expiring contract of Theo Ratliff, the two chips that allowed him to pry Garnett from Minnesota, with Allen being the lure that enticed Garnett to agree to the move.

There has been some luck involved here, starting with, as odd as it may seem, the lottery ping-pong balls not giving Boston the No. 1 or 2 pick, which Ainge likely would not have traded. Think about it. Would you rather have Greg Oden or Kevin Durant teamed with Jefferson and Pierce, or Allen and KG playing alongside Pierce? There's no wrong answer, which is remarkable considering how depressing not getting one or two felt on lottery night.

And the Clippers didn't have to agree to a buy out of Cassell's contract, which allowed him to be put on waivers. And, theoretically, another team could have claimed Cassell off waivers, so there was some more luck there.

Yes, Ainge caught a few breaks. And who knows, this team may not win a title this year. The Celtics could lose to Cleveland in the second round, or the Pistons in the conference finals. If they reach the league finals, they could get hammered by any number of teams from the West.

Winning is now up to Doc Rivers and the players. Ainge has done his job. He completely revamped the foundation, added some finishing touches and put this team in position to win Banner 17. And the Celtics still have a talented young point guard in Rondo, a serviceable young center in Kendrick Perkins, some capable young forwards in Glen Davis and Leon Powe and most of their future first-round draft picks (Minnesota owns Boston's 2009 first rounder).

Back to Cassell, who has been a favorite of mine since he teamed with Bob Sura and Charlie Ward at Florida State on one of the most entertaining college basketball teams of the 90s. Sam I Am has played in 103 playoff games, won two championships (Houston '94 and '95) and reached the conference with both Allen (Milwaukee '01) and Garnett (Minnesota '04).

He knows playoff pressure, knows how to adjust over the course of a series and knows how to get a team the right look at the end of games. And if that look happens to be his, Cassell can hit it. He's a career 45.4 percent shooter and loves the big shot. Teams will dare Rondo to beat them with his jumper in the playoffs. If the young guard is off, Cassell will be the perfect answer off the bench.

Cassell has averaged 15.9 points, 6.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game for his career. Naturally he's lost a step, but Cassell's game has always been based on guile, not athleticism. He's averaging 12.8 points and 4.7 assists this year and posted a 35-point game (a 104-89 win at Indiana Nov. 7) and a 32-point game (a 97-90 win against Phoenix Jan. 15).

Landing Garnett and Allen made Ainge the front-runner for Executive of the Year honors. Now that he's completed the ensemble with a well-matched piece off the bargain rack, he should be a lock.

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