If no serious trade goes through and we continue with Ray...

[xmuscularghandix]

This is how i see the future of this team evolving, tell me what you think.

Championship or whatever happens we go into the off-season with:

Paul Pierce- 21.5
Kevin Garnett- 18
Rajon Rondo- 9
Rasheed Wallace- 6.3
Kendrick Perkins- 4.3 (last year of contract)
Glen Davis- 3.3
Bill Walker- .8

Approx. 64 Million
--------------------------------------------------------------
What I would do is...

Sign Ray Allen (Bird Exception)to a three year deal ensuring that he finishes his career with the Celtics, while also financially allowing the team to rebuild as he diminishes.

I'd also sign resign TA with the Non-Bird extension which would just be an 8% pay increase putting him at 3 Mil a year.

Quick question... Is Marquis signed to the Million dollar exception(AKA Bi-Annual)? Because he's making the 1.99 in 09/10

This  would give us a rotation of...

Rondo/??
Ray/ Tony
Paul/ Walker
KG/ BBD
Perkins/ Wallace

AND

The Mid-Level Exception.

I'm assuming that Marquis Daniels is going to play good in the second half and command a nice contract elsewhere, or we can resign him and it'd take up a big chunk of our MLE.

I think that the Celtics should use the MLE to go after a serious backup PG, one that can handle the ball in the second unit as well as hit open shots himself. In the class of 2010 there are a few guys that i think could be available for decent money.

Luke Ridnour- Right now he's making 6.5 and this off-season is where he has to make the decision of whether or not he'd rather start or win. This player also has a nice feel to it because his career has constantly revolved around Ray Allen. Luke has played in 120 career games as an under 20 minute reserve.

Rafer Alston- Was just bought out of his 4.3 million dollar contract, and is playing good minutes for the Heat, who are in the playoffs. This could command some attention from playoff teams with similar backup PG needs. Rafer as recently said that he was interesting in signing here, i think he could be a perfect fit. This signing could also be filled with irony because he would be filling the role of Sam Cassell in '07, and the last time he played on the same team as Ray he was backing up Sam Cassell

Chris Duhon- A career backup PG who can hit open shots, run the offense, and would actually give the Celtics a decent 1,2 defensive punch. Once upon a time he was known as a good defender and he could bring that back in a post-NY career. I would like this move but i could see the argument for someone with a little bit more offense.

Steve Blake- Good play maker, great passer, has developed a nice outside shot, solid defender... the more i think about Steve Blake backing up Rondo the more excited i get. IMO he is the perfect man for the job.

Depending on which of these guys i went after would depend on money for other players i could pursue in FA. But regardless of anything The Celtics HAVE to have a productive draft this year.





PS sorry for the huge post i just can't sleep and i was thinking about the Green's future.

[celticinorlando]

this team was built to win from 2007-2008 until now. after this season, the injuries, the disappointing season so far...i think danny has to look to the future. i am a realist...and there is no way this team as it stands will win the east...esp with the cavs getting amare. look to bringing in young players at some point

[ssspence]

Sign Ray to a 3 year deal? Ray is going to be offered a 1 year deal with a team option for a 2nd.

[celticinorlando]

if they dont move ray now then this off season could be very ugly. resigning ray to anything but a 1 year deal is not a smart move. boston will have somewhat of 6 roster spots to fill after this season (williams, daniels, eddie, scal, giddens and TA)...of those 6 i would only like to see daniels resigned. purge the bench of the non contributors.

i expect boston stands pat...we will hear the BS from danny about how he still thinks this is a championship team etc. but we all know the truth. the problems extend beyond the injuries. every team has injuries...heck the cavs are missing west and williams and have won 12 straight. lakers have won 2 straight without kobe.

for some reason, boston can't finish and win games. i really fear this 4 game road trip. i mean it is a real possibility that they go 0-4 on it.

[boscel33]

we'll be in the same place as when the original big three were done, doomed for years.  now is the time to move a very tradeable piece to try and get younger.  ai from philly is what i do!

[Mencius]

this team was built to win from 2007-2008 until now. after this season, the injuries, the disappointing season so far...i think danny has to look to the future. i am a realist...and there is no way this team as it stands will win the east...esp with the cavs getting amare. look to bringing in young players at some point

Yep, start the rebuild.  Get the best young players you can for Ray now.  Even if they don't win as much as we would with Ray, you're building value, because if you're not a legit championship contender, building value is more important than sacrificing a couple of wins now.

[More Banners]

we'll be in the same place as when the original big three were done, doomed for years.  now is the time to move a very tradeable piece to try and get younger.  ai from philly is what i do!

I think we're much, much worse off.  We're going to need a near-complete makeover. 

Those 80's-'92 guys were old 50-55 win teams, but had good young talent in Reggie Lewis and Brian "Traitor" Shaw, among others, in the pipeline.  As good as Rondo is, he's no Reggie Lewis.  And Perk is only a serious threat on one side of the floor, and still is no Zo Mourning or Mutumbo there, either(just being real).

I'm hoping something happens, even if it results in little more than picks. 

[winsomme]

this team was built to win from 2007-2008 until now. after this season, the injuries, the disappointing season so far...i think danny has to look to the future. i am a realist...and there is no way this team as it stands will win the east...esp with the cavs getting amare. look to bringing in young players at some point

but with no capspace they have no means to bring in young players. Unless Danny is prepared to unload Pierce, they have only one move and that is to re-sign Ray and ride this thing out with GPA.

Rebuilding will begin after KGs contract is up.

That's why I think Danny has to do everything possible to move Ray at this point. It's the only real way to keep this team as a legit contender for the next few years.

The other way is to re-sign Ray.

[celticinorlando]

this team was built to win from 2007-2008 until now. after this season, the injuries, the disappointing season so far...i think danny has to look to the future. i am a realist...and there is no way this team as it stands will win the east...esp with the cavs getting amare. look to bringing in young players at some point

but with no capspace they have no means to bring in young players. Unless Danny is prepared to unload Pierce, they have only one move and that is to re-sign Ray and ride this thing out with GPA.

Rebuilding will begin after KGs contract is up.

That's why I think Danny has to do everything possible to move Ray at this point. It's the only real way to keep this team as a legit contender for the next few years.

The other way is to re-sign Ray.

and that is what makes this summer so scary. the big 3 just don't have enough left to carry us for 2 more seasons. there needs to be a bridge so when KG etc fall off the books, they aren't just a horrible team. i don't want to resign ray allen in the off season to anything more than a 1 year deal. they don't need to tie up more years with the big three.

 it makes sense to trade ray now....but i dont see any real legit deals that help this team.

[JIMTONIK]

next year,I think we 'r going to see this team loosing so many times.
Old,finished,done,cooked.
We need big changes.  fresh,talented players.
We can't do it.

[celticinorlando]

they certainly will be old and we certainly will have at least 6 bench spots to fill in...oh yeah...ray allen can walk away if anyone offers him more than just the 1 year deal boston should off.

[winsomme]

this team was built to win from 2007-2008 until now. after this season, the injuries, the disappointing season so far...i think danny has to look to the future. i am a realist...and there is no way this team as it stands will win the east...esp with the cavs getting amare. look to bringing in young players at some point

but with no capspace they have no means to bring in young players. Unless Danny is prepared to unload Pierce, they have only one move and that is to re-sign Ray and ride this thing out with GPA.

Rebuilding will begin after KGs contract is up.

That's why I think Danny has to do everything possible to move Ray at this point. It's the only real way to keep this team as a legit contender for the next few years.

The other way is to re-sign Ray.

and that is what makes this summer so scary. the big 3 just don't have enough left to carry us for 2 more seasons. there needs to be a bridge so when KG etc fall off the books, they aren't just a horrible team. i don't want to resign ray allen in the off season to anything more than a 1 year deal. they don't need to tie up more years with the big three.

 it makes sense to trade ray now....but i dont see any real legit deals that help this team.

I'm actually not that worried about being bad in the post Pierce/KG years. We'll be bad and we will rebuild. That's the NBA.

The plan has been to ride out GPA ever since we signed them, but this season is showing that  GPA might not be enough to make a run at the Title, and that's the reason Danny IMO is looking to move Ray...because he knows that his only other option to re-sign Ray in the off season.

With GPA, we certainly are looking at two or three rounds of the playoffs, but Ray's contract, if used wisely, could be used to move us to being a more legit Title contender.

I just think are two realistic moves here, and we'll know by Thurs. which way Danny is choosing to go.

[celticinorlando]

this team was built to win from 2007-2008 until now. after this season, the injuries, the disappointing season so far...i think danny has to look to the future. i am a realist...and there is no way this team as it stands will win the east...esp with the cavs getting amare. look to bringing in young players at some point

but with no capspace they have no means to bring in young players. Unless Danny is prepared to unload Pierce, they have only one move and that is to re-sign Ray and ride this thing out with GPA.

Rebuilding will begin after KGs contract is up.

That's why I think Danny has to do everything possible to move Ray at this point. It's the only real way to keep this team as a legit contender for the next few years.

The other way is to re-sign Ray.

and that is what makes this summer so scary. the big 3 just don't have enough left to carry us for 2 more seasons. there needs to be a bridge so when KG etc fall off the books, they aren't just a horrible team. i don't want to resign ray allen in the off season to anything more than a 1 year deal. they don't need to tie up more years with the big three.

 it makes sense to trade ray now....but i dont see any real legit deals that help this team.

I'm actually not that worried about being bad in the post Pierce/KG years. We'll be bad and we will rebuild. That's the NBA.

The plan has been to ride out GPA ever since we signed them, but this season is showing that  GPA might not be enough to make a run at the Title, and that's the reason Danny IMO is looking to move Ray...because he knows that his only other option to re-sign Ray in the off season.

With GPA, we certainly are looking at two or three rounds of the playoffs, but Ray's contract, if used wisely, could be used to move us to being a more legit Title contender.

I just think are two realistic moves here, and we'll know by Thurs. which way Danny is choosing to go.

i agree...that is why standing pat and not making a trade for ray not only pretty much guarentees an early playoff exit this year....it really hurts next season as well

[Chief]

The only way I sign Ray to a three year deal is if is for league veteran minimum. How I see it, Ray owes the C's money, for the past 2 years, based on performance. Maybe he'll take that into consideration when he resigns.

[winsomme]

this team was built to win from 2007-2008 until now. after this season, the injuries, the disappointing season so far...i think danny has to look to the future. i am a realist...and there is no way this team as it stands will win the east...esp with the cavs getting amare. look to bringing in young players at some point

but with no capspace they have no means to bring in young players. Unless Danny is prepared to unload Pierce, they have only one move and that is to re-sign Ray and ride this thing out with GPA.

Rebuilding will begin after KGs contract is up.

That's why I think Danny has to do everything possible to move Ray at this point. It's the only real way to keep this team as a legit contender for the next few years.

The other way is to re-sign Ray.

and that is what makes this summer so scary. the big 3 just don't have enough left to carry us for 2 more seasons. there needs to be a bridge so when KG etc fall off the books, they aren't just a horrible team. i don't want to resign ray allen in the off season to anything more than a 1 year deal. they don't need to tie up more years with the big three.

 it makes sense to trade ray now....but i dont see any real legit deals that help this team.

I'm actually not that worried about being bad in the post Pierce/KG years. We'll be bad and we will rebuild. That's the NBA.

The plan has been to ride out GPA ever since we signed them, but this season is showing that  GPA might not be enough to make a run at the Title, and that's the reason Danny IMO is looking to move Ray...because he knows that his only other option to re-sign Ray in the off season.

With GPA, we certainly are looking at two or three rounds of the playoffs, but Ray's contract, if used wisely, could be used to move us to being a more legit Title contender.

I just think are two realistic moves here, and we'll know by Thurs. which way Danny is choosing to go.

i agree...that is why standing pat and not making a trade for ray not only pretty much guarentees an early playoff exit this year....it really hurts next season as well

yeah, then again maybe KG legitimately is having problems with his shins and will be heading back to a healthier place next season.

the other thing to keep in mind is that this CLE situation could go very badly and end up with LeBron going elsewhere. Then we become a stable veteran team at the head of the pack.

I mean, the biggest problem with the Cs continues to be KGs knee/leg and I'm not totally ready to say that won't improve...either this year or next.