C's interested in acquiring the second pick?

[crownsy]

If Rhondo is banking on a major league extension.   Well, you do have Stephon Marbury wanting to play starting point.  You could take a chance on Rubio.  Let him develop behind Stephon. 

Personally, I think Rhondo is overrated some.  Not that he isn't very good, but not great (not without a shot).  And Orlando, like LA did last year played off of Rhondo.   I suspect you cannot play off of Rubio.   And the guy has a special talent.  A cross between a Pete Maravich, and a Larry Bird.  Does not come along very often. 

  If Rubio were even 1/4 that good he wouldn't last until the 2nd pick.

agreed. also, the man's name is rondo.

[BballTim]

The thing about Rondo is, with a healthy Celtics team, he is not going to get those kind of numbers he put up in the playoffs this year, next year. It took some pretty poor performances by either Ray or PP this year to allow him to accomplish what he did.

So let's not go crazy over Rondo's talent. I do not want to trade Rondo or Ray Ray, but I honestly think the C's are still a contender for the title with either of them being replaced by someone decent.

Doesn't your argument suggest the importance of keeping Rondo though? Next year, Ray, Paul, and KG are going to be a year older and most likely will have pretty poor performances at times (even when they're "healthy"). So next year, we need a PG who is more than just decent to win a title...

except you don't need a PG at all to win the title, unless of course you think Derek Fisher and Rafer Alston are "PG's"

  You don't need a pg, per se, but you need talented players aside from a very good big. It doesn't have to be a pg just like it doesn't have to be a sf or sg but it can be a pg. So while you don't always need a good pg, you can't always win without one. If you want to put your theory that you don't need a good pg to the ultimate test, go back to all the years where the winning team had a good/great pg. Players like Magic, Isaiah, Parker and Billups. Would those teams have all won the title with Alston or Fisher as their starting pg? If not, you need to go back and refine your theory.

The PG is the 4th or 5th option on this Celtics team, is all I am saying. Will a good PG be important after the Big 3 has split, of course. But it's not like the Celtics won't be able to use that cap space for some good.

My point was more so that even if the Celtics were to for whatever get rid of Rondo and end up with Rubio, and have Rubio coming off the bench while a vet PG started, the Celtics probably wouldn't miss a next season.

  You're tying Rondo's contribution to scoring only. He does a lot to influence the game beyond that. He had a bigger role on the team in 08-09 than he did in 07-08 and he'll likely have a still bigger role next year. (his scoring will also likely increase). I think if you just look for another pg that will give us the same 10-12 points a game as the 4th or 5th option the dropoff in our play will be pretty significant.

[CoachBo]

The ONLY way I see this idea having legs is if Memphis is willing to take pennies on the dollar for the pick. I just don't see how moving Rondo for this pick works.

[boscel33]

could these teams be looking at the second pick to get something other than rubio?  looking at a concensus of mock drafts, many have thabeet(sp?) going with the second pick which makes sense.  so now, let's spin this another way and say perkins is the one on the block and the main part of the package.

[crownsy]

could these teams be looking at the second pick to get something other than rubio?  looking at a concensus of mock drafts, many have thabeet(sp?) going with the second pick which makes sense.  so now, let's spin this another way and say perkins is the one on the block and the main part of the package.

No way does perkins bring memphis to the table over the second pick. He doesn't have that kind of value to other teams.

Unless its perk and ray's contract for some mix of there worst contracts and the pick.

[clover]

Perk does bring that kind of value--if he stays healthy, but that shoulder is too big of a risk for a sane organization to make such a trade for.

[ederson]

could these teams be looking at the second pick to get something other than rubio?  looking at a concensus of mock drafts, many have thabeet(sp?) going with the second pick which makes sense.  so now, let's spin this another way and say perkins is the one on the block and the main part of the package.

Still this doesn`t make the team better in the (very) short term. Rubio and Thabeet possibly are more talented than RR or KP but i doubt that now can step up and produce something better.

[wdleehi]

If the Celtics are making trades to get players that may be better then what they are trading away in the future, might as well stick a fork in this team now. 

[fugazzi24]

This is a crazy idea that really makes no sense but I want to put it out there.

We trade Ray Allen and future picks to Memphis for Jaric, Darko, Buckner and #2.

Then we re-sign big baby to play PF.

We take James Harden #2 and hope he develops into Brandon Roy.  This way in 4 years we will have a line up of

Rondo
Harden
Walker or Giddens
Big Baby
Perk

If Harden develops into an all-star player, which I predict.  That could be a very good good team, if we can add some bench players around them and everyone continues to get better.

One more thing, Memphis gets tons of Cap room, they then move to Seattle and 2010 and sign Bosh and another star.  There line-up would be

Conley
Mayo
Gay
Bosh
Gasol

Plus picks and another all star player with their cap room and Ray Allen re-signs to finish his career in Seattle.

[nickagneta]

Again, I will repeat, I don't see Rubio being Ainge's target if their is any validity to this rumor. Rondo would be the obvious piece going Memphis' way and there is no chance in hell that Doc would be coaching this team next year if Danny saddles him with an 18 year old point guard after spending the last three years getting Rondo to the point he did. No way. Doc would quit. Danny has to know this.

Putting a Maserati in the hands of a student driver to learn to drive with makes no sense whatsoever. Why trade a PG that is putting up nearly triple double numbers in your last playoff run for essentially an unknown that may take three years to get to a point that might not be anywhere near the level that Rondo already is at?

Now drafting Thabeet makes sense. A defensive, rebounding freak that would be a great immediate backup and could eventually save the team million in not having to extend Perk and makes him a very valuable trading asset the next year. Not only that but with Andre Miller and Jason Kidd and Mike Bibby available this year in free agency, a capable playoff hardened veteran is able to be signed to replace Rondo for a couple of years until the Big Three era ends.

It allows the team to resign Ray without having to worry about where the money is coming from because the teams needs money for Perk and Rondo and when the era ends after KG, Ray, the newly signed PG, maybe Pierce all expire simultaneously the team can set its sights on Durant and other high profile younger stars.

]


Trading our franchise point guard for a center who is three years away from being a bench player makes sense?

Absolutely not. I never said I would make the trade as a matter of fact, I'm against any trade where Rondo goes unless a handful of players across the league are coming back in return.

But trading him for Rubio makes no sense. None whatsoever. Rubio is going to need time, maybe lots of it to adjust to the NBA speed and size and strength. His out of control immaturity will take time to fix. Giving this guy the reigns to this team is taking a two year step back in time without lowering the age of the Big Three by two years.

What makes sense to me is that Danny would be interested in Thabeet over Rubio, instead of Rubio. And as much as some don't like Thabeet's game, I do. He hasn't been playing the game that long and is already an excellent shot blocker and rebounder. He has DPOY multiple times written all over him. And if Clifford Ray can turn a dumpy, fat, no offensive skills player like Perk was into what he is today, I think he could do wonders with Thabeet who is 3 inches taller and about 5-6 inches longer than Perk with better ups. When fully developed Thabeet has All-Star, DPOY, double double machine and 3-4 blocks per game written all over him.

[crownsy]

Perk does bring that kind of value--if he stays healthy, but that shoulder is too big of a risk for a sane organization to make such a trade for.

I think you are overestimating what other teams think of perk.

I think teams would be interested in him, for sure. But to get the second pick of the draft for him?

Teams don't value a defensive center with a limited offensive game that much.

[Fafnir]

Perk does bring that kind of value--if he stays healthy, but that shoulder is too big of a risk for a sane organization to make such a trade for.

I think you are overestimating what other teams think of perk.

I think teams would be interested in him, for sure. But to get the second pick of the draft for him?

Teams don't value a defensive center with a limited offensive game that much.

They probably should, especially on his contract. Look at Dampier and Diop's contracts. Or what Mark Blount got....

[BCelts]

What makes sense to me is that Danny would be interested in Thabeet over Rubio, instead of Rubio. And as much as some don't like Thabeet's game, I do. He hasn't been playing the game that long and is already an excellent shot blocker and rebounder. He has DPOY multiple times written all over him. And if Clifford Ray can turn a dumpy, fat, no offensive skills player like Perk was into what he is today, I think he could do wonders with Thabeet who is 3 inches taller and about 5-6 inches longer than Perk with better ups. When fully developed Thabeet has All-Star, DPOY, double double machine and 3-4 blocks per game written all over him.

I have watched Thabeet a bit myself, and I think your evaluation is a little optimistic.  I see him as a stong defender and rebounder as well, but have yet to see signs of a significant pro offensive game on the block.  Maybe he can develop a Patrick Ewing fall-away type jump shot, but then again perhaps not.

However, Perk already is these things in my opinion.  Feel free to disagree, but I am quite high on Perk.  His defense and shot blocking are outstanding (see what he did to Dwight Howard), and his rebounding (defensivly) is quite good.  More importantly, Perk is locked in a undermarket deal ($4.5 M !) through 2011.  Even if we added Thabeet it would only be one year difference of having him at below-market rate.  And we have to teach him and he has to be able to learn defensive rotations.

While I am also concerned about Perk's shoulder, I think the Thabeet risks outweigh the rewards, significantly.

[crownsy]

Perk does bring that kind of value--if he stays healthy, but that shoulder is too big of a risk for a sane organization to make such a trade for.

I think you are overestimating what other teams think of perk.

I think teams would be interested in him, for sure. But to get the second pick of the draft for him?

Teams don't value a defensive center with a limited offensive game that much.

They probably should, especially on his contract. Look at Dampier and Diop's contracts. Or what Mark Blount got....

Totally agree fafnir, but the typical NBA gm has never been accused of being logical 

[KungPoweChicken]

In my opinion, Thabeet is not mobile or fluid enough to ever be a dominate rebounding, shot blocking big man. I see his ceiling as a bench player who can give you a useful twenty-five minutes a night.