Trading Ray in his last year-should it be done?

[Triboy16]

I wouldn't trade him unless he cannot stand coming off the bench. I mean if he is like reggie miller and can stay in shape for the next 5 years, who knows he can just retire as a starter. But if he starts to lose his shape(don't think his shooting will ever go away) and another young gun beats him then he could be a nice 6th man.

[e in boulder]

Trade Ray if you'd like, but I think it will be pretty hard to replace 22 3's in the finals. What ever happened to "what have you done for me lately?"

[Jon]

As a lot of people have already said, it's way too early for this talk.  Who knows what he'll be like next year or the year after? 

Still, I wouldn't say it's as simple as how he plays.  I think a lot has to do with a) the mindset of the team and b) what they'd get in return for him.  I mean can we really expect to contend still with an aging Pierce and Garnett if we trade Ray for a young player?  What's more, how many young players of consequence are going to be available for Ray given a) how small rookie deals are and b) the fact that whatever young players are coming certainly aren't that good if a team is giving them away for a contract. 

Also, I think there's a lot to be said for Ray's expiring deal. 

Ultimately, I think the C's might be best served re-signing Ray to keep him around through the end of Pierce and Garnett's deals. 

[Chief]

If I were Ainge, I'd be calling the Nuggets right now about Carmello. I'd trade Ray for him in a second.

[fan33]

If I were Ainge, I'd be calling the Nuggets right now. I'd trade Ray for him in a second.

I don't understand what the problem is. Who are you (as Ainge) ready to trade for?

You realize players go into despondent mode knowing they are being shoped around, don't you?

Except Ray Allen knows a thread such as this would be total B.S. anyway, I would hope, for the sake of the upcoming season...

In any event I firmly want to state IMO Ray Allen stays a part of the Celtics as long as he stays healthy!

[Redz]

Trade Ray if you'd like, but I think it will be pretty hard to replace 22 3's in the finals. What ever happened to "what have you done for me lately?"

"What have you done for me lately" had him riding the pine, and one foot on the next bus out of town half way through the playoffs.  Works both ways I guess.  But the body of work is the thing to look at with Ray. 

[Jon]

If I were Ainge, I'd be calling the Nuggets right now. I'd trade Ray for him in a second.

You vastly underestimate team chemistry. 

First, if Carmelo's so good, why does a very talented Denver team continue to underachieve?  He's already paired with a former MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year.  He has to be doing something wrong. 

Furthermore, you forget one of the big reasons the C's gelled so well this year was not only their ubuntu mindset, but also how well their games complimented each other.  Unlike the Rocket team of Pippen, Barkley, and Olajuwon whose games didn't mesh because they were all generally low-post/midrange players, the Celtics were able to mesh because KG, Pierce, and Ray all could shoot and all had different games. 

Carmelo would steal from that as he's very similar to Paul Pierce minus the range and defense. 

Remember what got the C's #17: defense and team play.  Carmelo Anthony doesn't fit the bill in either area. 

[Chief]

If I were Ainge, I'd be calling the Nuggets right now. I'd trade Ray for him in a second.

I don't understand what the problem is. Who are you (as Ainge) ready to trade for?

You realize players go into despondent mode knowing they are being shoped around, don't you?

Except Ray Allen knows a thread such as this would be total B.S. anyway, I would hope, for the sake of the upcoming season...

In any event I firmly want to state IMO Ray Allen stays a part of the Celtics as long as he stays healthy!

If a great young scorer like Melo is available, via trade, Danny has got to call and see what Denver would want. If they said Ray Allen and a few other minor things, Danny has to think about it.

[Bahku]

No way ... Ray should retire as Celtic. I may just be old school, but there's a lot to be said for loyalty ... Ray is the perfect example of what being a Celtic means, and I want to see a #20 in the rafters!

[fan33]

If I were Ainge, I'd be calling the Nuggets right now. I'd trade Ray for him in a second.

I don't understand what the problem is. Who are you (as Ainge) ready to trade for?

You realize players go into despondent mode knowing they are being shoped around, don't you?

Except Ray Allen knows a thread such as this would be total B.S. anyway, I would hope, for the sake of the upcoming season...

In any event I firmly want to state IMO Ray Allen stays a part of the Celtics as long as he stays healthy!

If a great young scorer like Melo is available, via trade, Danny has got to call and see what Denver would want. If they said Ray Allen and a few other minor things, Danny has to think about it.

Didn't the mello just have an incident at 4a.m.(DUI?), along with a disappointing playoff? And who would have held a Kobe to 39% shooting and low FTs every other game, Mello? 

[CoachBo]

If I were Ainge, I'd be calling the Nuggets right now. I'd trade Ray for him in a second.

You vastly underestimate team chemistry. 

First, if Carmelo's so good, why does a very talented Denver team continue to underachieve?  He's already paired with a former MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year.  He has to be doing something wrong. 

Furthermore, you forget one of the big reasons the C's gelled so well this year was not only their ubuntu mindset, but also how well their games complimented each other.  Unlike the Rocket team of Pippen, Barkley, and Olajuwon whose games didn't mesh because they were all generally low-post/midrange players, the Celtics were able to mesh because KG, Pierce, and Ray all could shoot and all had different games. 

Carmelo would steal from that as he's very similar to Paul Pierce minus the range and defense. 

Remember what got the C's #17: defense and team play.  Carmelo Anthony doesn't fit the bill in either area. 

TP, Jon. This entire discussion has taken on a basketball card-kind of feel. This isn't about getting younger; it's about continuing to win. Anthony has character issues, and a skill-set - not a lot of defense, etc - that simply does not fit what we're trying to do.

You definitely consider all trade options. That doesn't mean that you do them, based on a vaccuous notion that this team has to get younger a matter of days after winning an NBA title. We were younger not too long ago, and it got us almost 60 losses and some really, really stupid basketball.

Just doesn't work like that.

[timepiece33]

We'll have almost $20MM in expiring contracts with both Ray Allen and Brian Scalabrine come two years from now.  Do I see Ainge leveraging that eventually?   Possibly.   

Do we need to worry about it now? Probably not.

[Jon]

I think this should be totally wait and see.  Under no conditions would I trade Ray next year.  We really need to ride this out as long as possible.  We can live with a decrease in Ray's production if Rondo becomes the star we all think he can be.  But I worry what happens if we trade him.  Do KG and Pierce become less focused if it looks like Danny's trying to retool for a future that doesn't include them?

If it's apparent he's done after next season, I'd be OK with using him as an expiring deal, a la Theo Ratliff.  But in a perfect world, I'd like to extend his contract so he's staying on board at least as long as Pierce.  You figure between re-signing Rondo down the road, plus Garnett and Pierce's salaries, we're not going to get below the cap anyway, so we might as well hold onto Allen until those guys are done, then try to quickly segue into the future with Rondo, whatever other young talent we have, plus whatever we can get via free agency with the cap space freed up when all members of the Big Three retire. 

[crownsy]

If I were Ainge, I'd be calling the Nuggets right now about Carmello. I'd trade Ray for him in a second.

and where would we be playing drunkie?

make pierce play the 2, a posistion he often looks average at best at? he sure as heck sin't playing the 4 with KG thier.

we have a HOF small forward and a HOF shooting gaurd. no need to trade our HOF SG with 2 years left on his contract for a very good SF on offense who has an attitude problem on and off the court.

ray next year should probley be presented with his potions by danny (i.e look, we want you back, but its going to ahve to be at much shorter money, your 34 now, we have to start looking to the future. We could also trade you if your comfrtable.)

but this year? why mess with a starting lineup that produced as ours did 

[BillyHiggins]

Well I think It should be done with the greatest of consideration!