Some here think the Celts can't make a trade for various reasons.

I believe the Celts can still make a trade to improve the team.

This debate will go on until the trade deadline next week. But Ainge can't afford to not do anything. Keeping this team as is, no trades to improve the team, is worse than being a lottery team.

Why? 

Obviously this team lacks a big man and a shooter. So best case scenario is a 2nd round exit in the playoffs. 

 

Right now KG and Pierce are in demand. Their trade value is high because contending teams want them. This is an opportunity the Celts can exploit. Ainge can get some young players and high draft picks if KG and Pierce are both traded. 

Either help this team, by making a trade, or blow it up! 

Staying put and becoming a middle of the pack team is worse than being a lottery team.

In response to Fierce34's comment:

Think about next year. KG Pierce, Terry all a year older, Bass still here Rondo and Sully coming off injuries.

ugly.

In response to snakeoil123's comment:

True!

That's why Ainge has to do something.

Sigh, if you aren't getting a Josh Smith, Big Al, Millsap or another up and coming star player it's not worth trading PP or KG. Just ride out the season, try to move PP in the offseason and it may prompt KG to retire. DO NOT BLOW IT UP YET.

This team just beat the HEAT and Denver without Rondo. In the playoffs all it takes is one road win to shift the homecourt advantage and this team has proven they can do it. Get to the 6th spot and avoid the HEAT until the ECF.

Make a small deal to get Redick but don't blow it up. If Ainge makes a desperate move it's going to tick KG and PP off. They are playing well, let them dictate the remaining games. Ainge should've learned his lesson from trading Perk.

In response to BirdLewsBias' comment:

Agree.

Getting Redick improves this team's chances in the playoffs.

What I'm saying is Ainge can't afford to DO NOTHING!

Doing nothing is the worst!

 

This team must have tried to make a trade. They just couldn't.  KG and Garnett are not going anywhere.  Trading Green, Bradley, Lee and Terry is unlikely.  Sully, Rondo and Barbosa are not really tradeable.  

 

You are left with Wilcox, Bass, Collins, Melo, and two draft picks.  No game changing here.

Green and Lee are very good players and will get better.

 

We can hopefully stay healthy and play hard the rest of the way. Blowing it up is no longer possible.

 

Grousbeck and crew think they can fill up the Garden with this team and that is underneath all of this failure to do anything.

Teams are also thinking of the lux tax next year. Teams don't want to take on PP and KG's contracts. Heck Memphis took themselves right out of contention due to money. Ainge knows there will be plenty of guys available in the offseason and there may be a few amnesty guys as well.

 

In response to Fierce34's comment:

Ainge wants to do something. He can't, your Millsap idea sounded great, but can it happen? I only hope someone gets desperate at the deadline but it appears we will come up with very little.

I agree..blow this team up.

A great Center won't be enough to bring home the championship.

 

In response to bruinsGENIUS' comment:

play out this season with this bunch. replace Barbosa ASAP. Delonte, Iverson, Mack.anybody.get a body in there now. get another big. Celtics fans deserve to see how far this bunch will go. we're going to make the playoffs. anything can happen then.

In response to BirdLewsBias' comment:

Actually Pierce has a non-guaranteed contract next season. Meaning Pierce can be waived after the season and the team will only get a 5m cap hit. So it's not true that taking Pierce will hurt you financially.

In response to Fierce34's comment:

He does. but if the Celtics are going to do that they should trade him now.  

In response to concord27's comment:

I'm only hoping that Ainge won't do anything like what he did last season. Even a small move like getting Redick would increase the Celts' chances in the playoffs.

If the Celts had Jeff Green last season, the Celts would've made it to the Finals. The Celts were one player away. Dooling, Steamer, and Pietrus, compare that to Terry, Green, and Wilcox or Collins and you know the Celts are clearly deeper and more talented this season.

In response to snakeoil123's comment:

Ainge has until next week to decide. 

Pierce can be waived before June 30. Beyond that his contract becomes guaranteed for the full 15.3m.

In response to Fierce34's comment:

By the way I know Dooling said he can't come back but with Barbosa gone can he reconsider?

In response to concord27's comment:

He can always come back. The question is will he be productive?

Right now Dooling's out of basketball shape. It's going to take a while before he can get into shape. 

I still prefer Redick then sign a PG before the playoff rosters are set in March. 

I'm wondering did the C's stash Darko and are monitoring him and plan to bring him back after the AS break.

It's just very strange that Ainge hasn't brought in any journeyman knowing that they lack size. Maybe it doesn't mean Darko is coming back but things seem too quiet when we're expecting a lot of noise.

In response to BirdLewsBias' comment:

Part of that is economics. I mean if you're going to waive Kris Joseph, who only had a 473k contract, you know the team is becoming frugal.

In response to Fierce34's comment:

 

Some here think the Celts can't make a trade for various reasons.

I believe the Celts can still make a trade to improve the team.

This debate will go on until the trade deadline next week. But Ainge can't afford to not do anything. Keeping this team as is, no trades to improve the team, is worse than being a lottery team.

Why? 

Obviously this team lacks a big man and a shooter. So best case scenario is a 2nd round exit in the playoffs. 

 

Right now KG and Pierce are in demand. Their trade value is high because contending teams want them. This is an opportunity the Celts can exploit. Ainge can get some young players and high draft picks if KG and Pierce are both traded. 

Either help this team, by making a trade, or blow it up! 

Staying put and becoming a middle of the pack team is worse than being a lottery team.

 ============================================

 

I have posted this before. Good copy & paste here. If I were DA, I'd take both KG & PP out to dinner and tell them, irrespective that the NBA is a business, that they can stay & retire in Beantown if they want. However, perhaps they'd like another ring, and, as Ray Allen wants, they might be able to get it elsewhere. The only team I would consider is the LA Clippers...not in our Division, location is home to both of them & I'd love to see them beat the Hated Lakers.  With them gone, no chance we'd meet them in them in the finals !!!

Unfortunately we don't have time to see if Melo can develop quickly and I don't know of a BIG MAN we could get, Cousins, Gortat etc. w/o given up more than Bass, Terry, Lee & draft choices. Too bad Sully went down as he was a good rebounder but still a PF and not a center.  Maybe even toss in Barbosa, injured yes, but Red Sox traded Carl Crawford last year to Dodgers & it was on the come as he was recovering from surgery. Maybe even someone would take Rondo on the come & we could get a Cousins, not on the Clippers team, or Gortat from Phoenix although Rondo worth more.

Ok, I'm being redundant, I'd like both to retire in Green but I reiterate maybe they'd really like to get another ring as Ray Allen feels he can with the Heat. But both players deserve to be asked if they would mind be traded...we owe them that !!!  and if we really are intent on rebuilding since Rondo & Sully are out, I would consider a trade of both but only to the Clippers for Jordan, Crawford, Odom, Bledsoe, Butler and a couple of draft choices too. Heck, if they bleed Green, let them keep their green Celtic headbands and green teeth guards, especially when they play the Lakers.

 

I could live with it !!! PP's roots are in So.Cal & KG has a home in Cal.   For some reason I do not hate the Clippers as I have the Lakers for the 60+ years I've been a Celtic fan.

 

I live in SF so could enjoy KG & PP when they play the Warriors & also we go to San Diego a few times per year to see family so I'd go to some Clipper-Laker games & root for KG & PP as if they were in Boston.

And terrific too to see these 2 Hall of Famers retire on the same team !

 

PP and KG  more than likely will retire as Celtics  .Both have said that's what they want and Ainge seems to agree. This leaves us with fews options  .Gortat is playing less minutes with the Suns and ONeil is picking up the slack very well.and they still want to move Beasley. Unfortunately we have little to offer .

In response to Fierce34's comment:

This could be a sig line.

I've been saying this since last summer.

 Re:  "Staying put and becoming a middle of the pack team is worse than being a lottery team."

 

But what are the Lakers to do...HA !!!

 

My comment/opinion that follows has nothing to do with trading with the Lakers but even with Rondo, Sully and Barbosa out and Melo not developed, starting player Ron Artest...oops sorry Metta...would not make our team even as a bench player !!!

The closer it gets to the deadline the more teams become desperate. Ainge will wait until the 11th hour because the ball is in his court. Those teams are trying to improve and would like to get something instead of nothing.

 

In response to Fierce34's comment:

Even if Ainge wanted to trade KG or Pierce, he couldn't trade KG unless he agreed to it since he has a no-trade clause.  I can't imagine that KG would agree to be traded unless he thought he had a chance of playing for a contending team that has the potential to win the championship. 

Rondo and Bass to Washington

John Wall and Okafor to Boston