Let's talk about it. Last year was probably our last shot at moving Pierce for anything of considerable value (to Brooklyn for a lotto pick that ended up being Damian Lillard... could have also used it on Andre Drummond)
Depending on who you ask, Pierce either killed the deal or the Nets rejected it. We do know that they ended up trading for Gerald Wallace instead. As far as I'm concerned, that was our last chance of getting an "impact asset" for Pierce ... and if Pierce killed it, it was never a real option in the first place.
KG was never a realistic trade option, because he was being paid too much. This year, we signed him to 10 mil a year with a no-trade clause. Before you lament the fact we gave him a no-trade clause, keep in mind the very distinct possibility KG could have just retired prior to the start of the season. The no-trade clause was a sign of good faith. He wasn't taking a 50% pay-cut and busting his ass for this organization just so we could use him as a trade asset midway through the season.
Sounds like there wasn't a huge market this season for Paul Pierce. Sure, teams would like to have him... but it sounds like they most you could have gotten was KRis Humphries and and a late pick. Even so, I'm not sure if Pierce would have agreed to report anyways... not when he's already got a foot in retirement. He didn't have a no-trade clause, but the threat of retirement is a considerable deterrent... and we know Pierce was killing potential Celtic deals as far back as 2005 when he refused to play in Portland (a deal that would have net us an insta-expiring contract and the #3 pick that would have been used to take Chris Paul). That said, even IF Pierce would have agreed to play in Brooklyn... I wasn't all that anxious to add Kris Kardashian. Makes more sense to just ride Pierce and then set the team up for cap space when he eventually leaves. What's your worst-case scenario with cap space? Kris Kardashian?
...
So here we are. The window for "getting assets" for our 36 and 37 year old franchise players is officially closed. We're stuck with them. I, for one, am glad. Nothing we could have gotten for them would have outperformed them. None of the assets we could have gotten for them would have been drastically more valuable than the inevitable cap space and lottery tanking.
It's official. KG and PIerce are retiring as Boston Celtics. Could happen as soon as this offseason. Maybe 16 months from now. But it's happening. How do you feel about it?