Moving Pierce is key to Rebuilding

[Tgro]

Some things need to be sacred. Sometimes there are more important things than even winning a championship. Yeah, I realize that is the purpose of a team but also Pierce was the team when there really wasn't a team. Even if he is in declining years, he's really underrated even at this stage of his career. Pierce is a warrior plain and simple. He's bled for the Celtics. Unless Pierce came out and specifically said he wanted to be traded, I think you've got to let him retire as a Celtic. He's more Celtic than KG or Ray Allen. Paul Pierce represents the Celtics. Paul Pierce is the Truth. We can build another championship with him on the team. Even if he comes off the bench for the next 4 years, he deserves to sit there until he looks as torn up as Shaq looked in the playoffs. The man can still play at a high level. I'm all for cutting his minutes. But to boot him off the team and see him in a different uniform because we think it'll make getting a championship easier? I'd think this isn't the Celtics I grew up knowing and loving and wouldn't care half as much about this team as I do now. I know people love to feel like they have great ideas on here, but we ain't talking Perkins here. I don't think I'd want a championship as much booting Pierce from the team. Any other Celtic is fair game, but Pierce goes when he's ready to go. 

[boscel33]

i used to be one of the biggest anti-pierce guys going.  i didn't like everything he stood for.  i still cringe when i see him do things on the floor, and say to my self, "what was he thinking?"  but now, he deserves to be a c for life!  he will not be dealt and that's good news for the c's. 

[Bahku]

No way ... Paul's not going anywhere ... the Truth is retiring as  celtic. I see all these trade threads about getting rid of different members of the Big Three, and people are not considering the fact that the only reason Doc stayed on was to work with them again ... they are not going anywhere, so the trades including Ray, Paul or KG just have no weight at all.

Think you're very wrong about this.

Doc is here for five years. He knows a rebuilding is coming no later than next summer. If it starts four months early, who cares?

Ainge very well might move KG or Allen by the trade deadline.

Well, I'll agree to disagree ... Doc already stated in more than one interview that a big part of his decision was the opportunity to coach the Big Three in their final years. I think I'll take his word on it for now.

[YouCantHandleTheTruth!]

Trading PP is insane.

Trade Rondo if you can get to CP3, but not The Truth: he's gonna be the transition man for a rebuilding team.

[paulcowens]

Trading Rondo is insane.  I think there should be two people that are untradable:  Rondo and Pierce.

[Q_FBE]

Do you think that trading John Havlicek after the 1977 playoff elimination would have extended the Celtics window in the Dave Cowens era?

Do you think trading Larry Bird after the 1990 playoff loss to the Bricks would have extended the Celtics window?

Do you think trading Paul Pierce is going to benefit the Celtics next year or the next five years?

Think again and go scouting the NCAA for the next Celtics legend to be drafted.

[Michael Anthony]

I am not the only one that recognizes moving Pierce is an option, from Elrod Enchilada:

http://basketball.realgm.com/article/213674/Whither_The_Celtics_Four_Paths_to_the_Future

Trades are never just about the player, they are about the player, his contract and the long-term/short-term impacts of both.

Here is a list of potential franchise guys available in the 2012 draft:

Anthony Davis: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Anthony-Davis-6236/

Perry Jones: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Perry-Jones-5713/

Michael Gilchrist: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Michael-Gilchrist-5707/

[Celtics18]

I am not the only one that recognizes moving Pierce is an option, from Elrod Enchilada:

http://basketball.realgm.com/article/213674/Whither_The_Celtics_Four_Paths_to_the_Future

Trades are never just about the player, they are about the player, his contract and the long-term/short-term impacts of both.

Here is a list of potential franchise guys available in the 2012 draft:

Anthony Davis: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Anthony-Davis-6236/

Perry Jones: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Perry-Jones-5713/

Michael Gilchrist: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Michael-Gilchrist-5707/

I get where you are coming from, but putting aside my sentimentality for Paul Pierce, I think you'd have a more realistic shot at getting better value in return for either Garnett and Allen as their expiring contracts could represent some real value for someone looking to clear up cap space. 

[RJ87]

AS much as I want Pierce to retire as a Celtics, I would never say never to a trade. 

I agree with this.

Even so, Pierce is a bit overpaid and wouldn't be easily movable - not with a new CBA looming over the league. Forgive me for the comparison I'm about to make - but it's like the NYY/Derek Jeter situation; Paul's value to the Celtics is quite different than it is to the rest of the league. Don't get me wrong, he's still a great player but the money he's owed for the next 3 years is more than teams-not-named-the-Celtics would be willing to take on.

[eugen]

Anything involving moving Pierce is a recipe for disaster. Absolute disaster.

100%

[CelticsGuy34]

only trades of the big 3 i can see are trades where we can get them back through a buyout

something like ray allen for a slightly overpaid player  and he gets bought out

[The DarkPassenger]

If Danny trades Pierce and it falls through and fails then not only would he lose most of the fan base but he might lose his job.

[SHAQATTACK]

Trading PP is insane.

Trade Rondo if you can get to CP3, but not The Truth: he's gonna be the transition man for a rebuilding team.

100%  ...Only for CP3 ...I guess...but.. ..he really needs to stay on this team as a transistion , even if its a player/coach/bench deal. 

[jambr380]

AS much as I want Pierce to retire as a Celtics, I would never say never to a trade. 

I agree with this.

Even so, Pierce is a bit overpaid and wouldn't be easily movable - not with a new CBA looming over the league. Forgive me for the comparison I'm about to make - but it's like the NYY/Derek Jeter situation; Paul's value to the Celtics is quite different than it is to the rest of the league. Don't get me wrong, he's still a great player but the money he's owed for the next 3 years is more than teams-not-named-the-Celtics would be willing to take on.

The money he will be getting is a little ridiculous, which is why he probably won't be moved, but with the new CBA, it is going to be difficult to compete with his enormous contract and his age. I tend to agree that trading him would be 'wrong', but it is going to be hard watching the Celtics' slow decline over that time, as well.

[TradeProposalDude]

The guy the Celtics need to trade is Garnett. Allen and Pierce haven't actually declined that much from their prime years. It's KG who has dramatically declined and can no longer produce anywhere near the clip he used to. With his massive $21 MIL salary for next year coming off the books (in 2012), this is the player you want to see the Celtics trade for good draft picks and young talent if at all possible.