Here's the package Indiana is offering for Rondo (Wojo)

[Yogi]

this needs to stop. Renting Paul for 6 months is just dumb. I wish danny would have put this much time into getting a real bench because in the end that will doom the celtics this season

I hate this trade because I love Rondo.  I hope that it never gets done.  But it makes a lot of sense.  Boston would be able to offer Paul an extra 26 Million over an extra year.  Hard to leave that behind if you re Paul.  Especially if Boston goes deep this year.  Paul would make us contenders this year.  

[BballTim]

this needs to stop. Renting Paul for 6 months is just dumb. I wish danny would have put this much time into getting a real bench because in the end that will doom the celtics this season

I hate this trade because I love Rondo.  I hope that it never gets done.  But it makes a lot of sense.  Boston would be able to offer Paul an extra 26 Million over an extra year.  Hard to leave that behind if you re Paul.  Especially if Boston goes deep this year.  Paul would make us contenders this year.  

  We already are contenders.

[rondohondo]

this needs to stop. Renting Paul for 6 months is just dumb. I wish danny would have put this much time into getting a real bench because in the end that will doom the celtics this season

I hate this trade because I love Rondo.  I hope that it never gets done.  But it makes a lot of sense.  Boston would be able to offer Paul an extra 26 Million over an extra year.  Hard to leave that behind if you re Paul.  Especially if Boston goes deep this year.  Paul would make us contenders this year.  

  We already are contenders.

contenders to make it to the second round you mean?

[PosImpos]

I wouldn't move Rondo or Paul for that package.  Collison doesn't have the instincts to be an elite point guard, in my mind; he's simply a vastly inferior player to either Paul or Rondo.  Brandon Rush is borderline garbage, and Tyler Hansborough, while a nice piece, isn't really starting caliber, let alone an impact player.

Add George to that package, and it's at least interesting.  As it currently stands, though, it shouldn't be acceptable to the Hornets.

yeah.  granger or paul untouchable?  really?  that's silly

[Yogi]

this needs to stop. Renting Paul for 6 months is just dumb. I wish danny would have put this much time into getting a real bench because in the end that will doom the celtics this season

I hate this trade because I love Rondo.  I hope that it never gets done.  But it makes a lot of sense.  Boston would be able to offer Paul an extra 26 Million over an extra year.  Hard to leave that behind if you re Paul.  Especially if Boston goes deep this year.  Paul would make us contenders this year.  

  We already are contenders.

We may be, but the heat added Battier, Chicago and New York will add a shooting guard, we lost Shaq and Kristic.  We are also a year older, and those three have more chemistry.  There is nothing I want to see more than our core make another run, but Danny is a GM, not a fan.

[action781]

I wouldn't move Rondo or Paul for that package.  Collison doesn't have the instincts to be an elite point guard, in my mind; he's simply a vastly inferior player to either Paul or Rondo.  Brandon Rush is borderline garbage, and Tyler Hansborough, while a nice piece, isn't really starting caliber, let alone an impact player.

Add George to that package, and it's at least interesting.  As it currently stands, though, it shouldn't be acceptable to the Hornets.

yeah.  granger or paul untouchable?  really?  that's silly

Maybe just in a deal for Rondo or not extended CP

[Kane3387]

this needs to stop. Renting Paul for 6 months is just dumb. I wish danny would have put this much time into getting a real bench because in the end that will doom the celtics this season

Do you think Paul will give up at least $25 million to leave Boston? Especially if they have a good season? Especially if Ainge is able to sign some good players with the cap space and re-sign Allen+Garnett to small deals?

  People keep saying CP3 wouldn't leave Boston because of the money. Clearly that's not true at all, if it was then NO wouldn't be shopping him, they'd just sign him to an extension.

Exactly. I understand that Boston would be able to offer him the most $ but that didn't work with james in cleveland either...

why would he sign an extension with New Oreleans when they dont have the players to contend for a title or the cap room to add talent around cp3 in the future? The C's have both of those things to offer CP3 , along with being the greatest franchise in NBA history and having a players coach like Doc in place. Plus he could sign the very max with us if traded here. I know reports have been he won't sign here, but he won't sign anywhere until next off-season , it makes no sense for him to .

  Couldn't NO just amnesty Okafor and have the cap room to sign whoever they wanted? That would basically put them eve with the Celts money-wise.

  One thing to consider, though. A team with CP3 and PP and Dwight Howard would compete for a title, and CP3 and DH would be great cornerstones to build around. But we keep hearing that CP3 doesn't want to come to Boston to be part of a rebuild and thinks they have a very short window. The obvious conclusion is that CP3 thinks it's a lot less likely that Howard would join him in Boston than most of the posters here do.

Another issue that needs to be considered is the fact the NBA owns the Hornets. As a result that team is in a state of flux until the team is sold. Amnestying Okafor is not gonna help sell that team. The guy(s) who purchase that team won't want to have to pay Okafor and his replacement. The NBA surely doesn't want to do that presently either.

Maybe if Paul signed the extension bc they amnestied Okafor then yes, but Paul won't sign an extension anywhere. It's too much of a risk for the Hornets to Amnesty Okafor and then have CP3 leave. If the NBA wasn't owning the team I think there is a lot of validity to what you say above.

Also Doc Rivers stock has never been higher. He is the one coach that is attractive to players. Is it THE deciding factor? No. Does it help? Yes! DA is betting it helps at least. Also we still have two huge expiring contracts in Ray and KG. Also a medium sized one in Jermaine. There is no reason one of those guys couldn't be moved for a Josh Smith, etc. later in the year.

So many things can happen over the course of the year to change CP3's mind about us. The key is just getting him here to try and make it happen.

Remember, you can't score the points if you don't take the shot. DA is trying to get open to take the shot.

[PosImpos]

I wouldn't move Rondo or Paul for that package.  Collison doesn't have the instincts to be an elite point guard, in my mind; he's simply a vastly inferior player to either Paul or Rondo.  Brandon Rush is borderline garbage, and Tyler Hansborough, while a nice piece, isn't really starting caliber, let alone an impact player.

Add George to that package, and it's at least interesting.  As it currently stands, though, it shouldn't be acceptable to the Hornets.

yeah.  granger or paul untouchable?  really?  that's silly

Maybe just in a deal for Rondo or not extended CP

yeah, but i feel like the pacers are totally low-balling the celtics for rondo here.  rondo has to be worth more than darren collison, brandon rush, and tyler hansbrough.  only one of those players is even a starter on a good team.

[Kane3387]

I wouldn't move Rondo or Paul for that package.  Collison doesn't have the instincts to be an elite point guard, in my mind; he's simply a vastly inferior player to either Paul or Rondo.  Brandon Rush is borderline garbage, and Tyler Hansborough, while a nice piece, isn't really starting caliber, let alone an impact player.

Add George to that package, and it's at least interesting.  As it currently stands, though, it shouldn't be acceptable to the Hornets.

yeah.  granger or paul untouchable?  really?  that's silly

Bird isn't going to put his best offer on the table until he has too.

[The Walker Wiggle]

USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:

Free agent guard Delonte West caught in a holding pattern. Some teams interested in him are waiting to see what happens with Chris Paul.

Depending on the dollar amount, I'd prefer to see the Celtics sign West now, regardless of how Rondo for Paul trade works out.

[Kane3387]

USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:

Free agent guard Delonte West caught in a holding pattern. Some teams interested in him are waiting to see what happens with Chris Paul.

Depending on the dollar amount, I'd prefer to see the Celtics sign West now, regardless of how Rondo for Paul trade works out.

Sounds like the same with BBD too. We need for this to conclude soon. Can't see guys waiting a long time with Camps starting tomorrow.

[Fafnir]

USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:

Free agent guard Delonte West caught in a holding pattern. Some teams interested in him are waiting to see what happens with Chris Paul.

Depending on the dollar amount, I'd prefer to see the Celtics sign West now, regardless of how Rondo for Paul trade works out.

Sounds like the same with BBD too. We need for this to conclude soon. Can't see guys waiting a long time with Camps starting tomorrow.

That's why New Orleans and other teams want to get this done by tomorrow.

[PosImpos]

USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:

Free agent guard Delonte West caught in a holding pattern. Some teams interested in him are waiting to see what happens with Chris Paul.

Depending on the dollar amount, I'd prefer to see the Celtics sign West now, regardless of how Rondo for Paul trade works out.

yeah, we need a backup point / sg either way, right?

[Kane3387]

USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:

Free agent guard Delonte West caught in a holding pattern. Some teams interested in him are waiting to see what happens with Chris Paul.

Depending on the dollar amount, I'd prefer to see the Celtics sign West now, regardless of how Rondo for Paul trade works out.

yeah, we need a backup point / sg either way, right?

WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski
Free agent guard Delonte West is considering the Suns, Lakers and Mavericks, league sources say. Re-signing with Boston is possible too.

[Who]

USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:

Free agent guard Delonte West caught in a holding pattern. Some teams interested in him are waiting to see what happens with Chris Paul.

Depending on the dollar amount, I'd prefer to see the Celtics sign West now, regardless of how Rondo for Paul trade works out.

yeah, we need a backup point / sg either way, right?

That reporter might be talking about LA. Rather than Boston.

The Lakers waiting to see if they get C.Paul before they make Delonte West an offer.