Shudda Traded Ray

[Mr October]

I was thinking about that very thing today. We could've had Haywood, Butler, and Stevenson for Allen. Instead they were traded for Josh Howard, Gooden (who was cut), Singleton, and Ross. Not to mention that Dallas also received cash in addition to those players.

It would've been great for us. We would've had Butler and Stevenson (not that he's anything special but does play solid D) and both their contracts would both be expiring next summer. We then would have a ridiculous amount of expiring contracts to make a mid-season key acquisition. Perk, Stevenson, Davis, Butler, and Sheed's retiring deal would give us nearly 30M to make a splash at the trade deadline.

I forgot about that Butler, Haywood, Stevenson group. That would have been nice to help with this title window.

However I think Howard was a better option for Washington to pick up. He could still play a part in their future. Ray would have split immediately.

[wdleehi]

If only a good trade was available at the time.

Pretty much.

I can't prove a good trade was available any more than either of you can prove that there WASN'T one available.  All I can do is speculate, much like everyone else in here.

But I have no doubt that there was something out there for two reasons... 1, people have postioned themselves for 3 years for this summer, and they have done so with decisions based exclusively on financial reasons.  Teams continue to make irrational basketball talent decisions up and into the draft.  The options were there, and there are countless examples.

and reason two, fear.  Danny was scared IMO and I don't blame him one bit.  His team could have sent into an emotional and spiritual crisis if he took away Ray and broke up the big three when they were two months away from having their first and only chance to defend their title. 

thats a pretty respectable reason not to do it. 

But to say that options weren't available to me is just irrational seeing as history has proven and continues to prove that teams are more than willing to hand over talent to achieve nothing more than a shot at clearing cap to land a stud.

Ainge has never been afraid to pull the trigger.


If he didn't see a trade he thought was good, there probably wasn't a good trade. (I tend to think he has a good read on these things)

[greg683x]

The best trade I heard with Chicago had Loul Deng and Hinrich coming here.  I doubt that was actually ever on the table, if it was I wont lie, I wouldve jumped on it at the time.  The Haywood/Butler deal sounded enticing too, but we'll never know how they wouldve worked out.

In the end, the ride to the finals this year was amazing, I wouldnt trade it for cap flexbility  for two max players this summer.

Teams make these awesome trades and signings every offseason and trading deadline and most of the fans of these teams have never seen their team go to a game 7 of the NBA Finals, not to mention evening winning the NBA Finals.

I wouldnt change a thing

[housecall]

And get who an overpaid, overrated player. That would've limited Celtics option even more. Celtics did the right thing by keeping him. The bench was the problem for the majority of the playoffs. For this last push, Ainge has to fix this bench once and for all & get consistent player.

TP...wisest post ive read since the playoffs...i agree that if Danny had built a better bench,it could have possibly been the difference they needed to put them over the top.

[Cman]

And get who an overpaid, overrated player. That would've limited Celtics option even more. Celtics did the right thing by keeping him. The bench was the problem for the majority of the playoffs. For this last push, Ainge has to fix this bench once and for all & get consistent player.

TP...wisest post ive read since the playoffs...i agree that if Danny had built a better bench,it could have possibly been the difference they needed to put them over the top.

Ainge has a golden oppty to do that this summer if management will let him use both the MLE and trade Sheed's contract.

[JSD]

Sometimes the best trade is the one you don't make.

[Jon]

Considering we were a Kendrick Perkins injury away from winning 18, I don't think we can regret not trading Ray. 

Also, re-signing him will once again mean that he'll have an expiring contract in a couple of years. 

[paintitgreen]

I was thinking about that very thing today. We could've had Haywood, Butler, and Stevenson for Allen. Instead they were traded for Josh Howard, Gooden (who was cut), Singleton, and Ross. Not to mention that Dallas also received cash in addition to those players.

It would've been great for us. We would've had Butler and Stevenson (not that he's anything special but does play solid D) and both their contracts would both be expiring next summer. We then would have a ridiculous amount of expiring contracts to make a mid-season key acquisition. Perk, Stevenson, Davis, Butler, and Sheed's retiring deal would give us nearly 30M to make a splash at the trade deadline.

Did anybody REALLY watch Caron Butler with the Mavericks? He's closer to washed up than Pierce or Allen is. That would've been a terrible trade.

I do wonder a lot about whether the Hinrich-Salmons-Thomas trade could have worked out and still helped us to the Finals. Salmons did play extremely well from the time he was traded to Milwaukee. Shrek and Donkey likely wouldn't have emerged, as Hinrich would've had all of Robinson's minutes. Thomas? I've just never liked or trusted Thomas. But it would be nice to have a frontcourt player who plays above the rim.

Whatever. This spring was a fantastic run. I have no regrets.

[Mike-Dub]

And get who an overpaid, overrated player. That would've limited Celtics option even more. Celtics did the right thing by keeping him. The bench was the problem for the majority of the playoffs. For this last push, Ainge has to fix this bench once and for all & get consistent player.

TP...wisest post ive read since the playoffs...i agree that if Danny had built a better bench,it could have possibly been the difference they needed to put them over the top.

Actually I believe the bench was fine and that if Perk didn't get hurt 18 would have been ours. 

[bobdelt]

So you would rather give up, up 13 in game 7 of the nba finals with a chance to win, than to have a team that's too old to play for a couple years?

Some times have never gone to the finals. EVER. If you have a chance to make a run for it you do it. You mortgage your future to do what you can today. Just like you took a mortgage on your house, so you can live there today. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to buy a house, and otherwise, the C's wouldnt have gone to the finals. Sometimes boneheaded things in life liking going 500k in debt make sense.

[BballTim]

But was it worth it?  We are screwed this offseason guys.  We have zero options other than to amass a bit of scrap heap talent for one more run with a team that was too old and lacked explosiveness on offense to defeat the Lakers.

  I don't think a 13 point lead in the middle of the 3rd quarter of game 7 despite losing our starting center to injury really translates to "a team that was too old and lacked explosiveness on offense to defeat the Lakers".

[Mr October]

But was it worth it?  We are screwed this offseason guys.  We have zero options other than to amass a bit of scrap heap talent for one more run with a team that was too old and lacked explosiveness on offense to defeat the Lakers.

  I don't think a 13 point lead in the middle of the 3rd quarter of game 7 despite losing our starting center to injury really translates to "a team that was too old and lacked explosiveness on offense to defeat the Lakers".

Yeah, the revisionist history for how well the Celtics played is baffling. The celtics this past spring were an amazing basketball team. Not OK. Not good. Amazing!

I'm not ready to go through another Acie Earl/Marty Conlon/35 wins annually era.

[Moranis]

But was it worth it?  We are screwed this offseason guys.  We have zero options other than to amass a bit of scrap heap talent for one more run with a team that was too old and lacked explosiveness on offense to defeat the Lakers.

  I don't think a 13 point lead in the middle of the 3rd quarter of game 7 despite losing our starting center to injury really translates to "a team that was too old and lacked explosiveness on offense to defeat the Lakers".

Yeah, the revisionist history for how well the Celtics played is baffling. The celtics this past spring were an amazing basketball team. Not OK. Not good. Amazing!

I'm not ready to go through another Acie Earl/Marty Conlon/35 wins annually era.

yeah but it is probably coming, a trade for Ray in February probably could have eliminated that possibility entirely (at least for the next few seasons), though probably would not have led to the NBA Finals this season.

[Rondo2287]

This is the ultimate hindsight is 20/20 thread.  This playoff run that we had was incredibly entertaining and never would have happened without Ray. Im glad we kept him even if it didnt end with banner 18

[LooseCannon]

Despite all the rumors, trading Ray Allen mid-season might have required accepting a deal like sending him to Cleveland for Delonte West, Zydrunas Ilgauskus in a wink-wink deal to buy him out and let him re-sign with the Cavs, and whoever is needed to balance salaries.