1) This trade affect Ainge budget for the next years
2) Ray Allen at lower price (say about 6-8 mln) is more attractive than Hinrich (two years left on his contract at 9 milions) if Danny want to do a sign and trade
3) how can hinrich improve allen's game? Do you really believe Hinrich is a better player? And, fo course, if you don't notice that: he is having the worst season of his career
4) If you trade Allen you kill the Big Three era, are you ready for this? I'm not. Unless we can get a player like Iggy or, at least, Kevin Martin.
Well, I can certainly understand this point of view, and go back and forth from similar thinking myself. But I think there are two things you are overlooking.
First, this is not Ray for Hinrich. This is Ray for Hinrich AND another piece or two. I have said, I would only do it, if it were Hinrich, Salmons, and Thomas.
I agree that Hinrich is not as good as Allen. I also do not think Hinrich should be a full time SG. However, since Allen is not a superstar anymore, if you can get three players who would immediately fit into our top 8 (which those three would), then I think you have to look at it.
I also think this team is clearly missing athleticism, and the defensive ability they had two years ago. This trade brings some of that back.
And finally, this is not the 2008 Celtics. That team is gone. This is a different team. They are not the shutdown defenders, and killer offensive players they used to be. Rondo and Perkins have become much more prominent. They can't keep this team together, or fail to make changes, even within the team, because of what happened 2 years ago. They need to continue to evolve, and improve, or else they will just fade away.
I am not sure if this is the deal that will do it (and in reality, both teams may turn this down), but this is the type of deal that Danny needs to be looking for, because lets face it, he is probably not going to get a younger player who is as good, or better than Allen. What he is looking for is a package that makes the team better than they are right now.