We should start rebuilding

[LooseCannon]

What is your realistic idea of what we could get with our cap space this summer?

My fear is that we use half of it to keep the band together.

My fear is that "keeping the band together" might turn out to be the most effective use of cap space.

[PosImpos]

We are in the process.  This is a transition-season.  We have tons of expiring contracts - just gotta wait it out

Bridge year! 

[Chris]

You could certainly deal both Ray Allen and KG to contenders or near contenders. Ray can certainly still bring it and KG would most likely be a brilliant 6th man. I want to see them play the rookies and young players to see what we have.

Yes, I am advocating letting the season go. I do not see the benefit long term in barely making the playoffs and missing the lottery in a banner draft year.

What would a first or second round playoff loss do for us exactly?

Ray, yeah, I think you can get value for him (but probably less value than he actually gives you, even resigning him for another couple years).  I think Danny will and has been listening on him, but the deal has to be right, and he can't be giving up their cap space unless he is getting a real building-block...which I am not sure he can get for a 3 month rental of a guy like Allen.


KG, I just can't see it.  He makes so much money, and has become so mediocre that there are incredibly few scenarios where a trade could match up.  Basically, he would have to be traded for someone else who is paid like a star, and there are not many guys like that who are not either not going to be traded for a guy like KG, or a guy on a terrible contract that the C's would have no interest in.

We are in the process.  This is a transition-season.  We have tons of expiring contracts - just gotta wait it out

Bridge year! 

That is absolutely what we are in.  I know it has a bad connotation because of the Sox, but it is what it is.  They are not going to tie their hands to reload this summer, by making a shortsighted move right now.

[StartOrien]

You could certainly deal both Ray Allen and KG to contenders or near contenders. Ray can certainly still bring it and KG would most likely be a brilliant 6th man. I want to see them play the rookies and young players to see what we have.

Yes, I am advocating letting the season go. I do not see the benefit long term in barely making the playoffs and missing the lottery in a banner draft year.

What would a first or second round playoff loss do for us exactly?

Kevin Garnett makes 21 million dollars his year, Ray Allen ten. In order to make a trade the team would need to have that kind of cap room or be able to match salaries.

There's no way we can trade KG because of this, and I'd argue that what we could get for Ray Allen (a first round pick, maybe?) probably wouldn't be worth not having him for the remainder of the season / kinda giving up on being able to resign him.

[PosImpos]

We are in the process.  This is a transition-season.  We have tons of expiring contracts - just gotta wait it out

Bridge year!  

That is absolutely what we are in.  I know it has a bad connotation because of the Sox, but it is what it is.  They are not going to tie their hands to reload this summer, by making a shortsighted move right now.

Basically it just means that the only reason to bother watching this year is because it's the last chance we'll get to see some of these guys playing, at least in Celtics green.

probably wouldn't be worth not having him for the remainder of the season / kinda giving up on being able to resign him.

I'm having a hard time seeing a scenario in which it would be worth it to re-sign Ray, as much as I'd love to see him play here for another year or three. 

The only way it'd make sense is if Danny can turn us back into a contender this summer.  Unless Dwight suddenly decides he really, really, really loves clam chowder, I don't know how that could happen. 

[Chris]

We are in the process.  This is a transition-season.  We have tons of expiring contracts - just gotta wait it out

Bridge year!  

That is absolutely what we are in.  I know it has a bad connotation because of the Sox, but it is what it is.  They are not going to tie their hands to reload this summer, by making a shortsighted move right now.

Basically it just means that the only reason to bother watching this year is because it's the last chance we'll get to see some of these guys playing, at least in Celtics green.  

Or because, you know, you like basketball?  And there is an outside chance this team catches fire at the right time.

[PosImpos]

We are in the process.  This is a transition-season.  We have tons of expiring contracts - just gotta wait it out

Bridge year! 

That is absolutely what we are in.  I know it has a bad connotation because of the Sox, but it is what it is.  They are not going to tie their hands to reload this summer, by making a shortsighted move right now.

Basically it just means that the only reason to bother watching this year is because it's the last chance we'll get to see some of these guys playing, at least in Celtics green. 

Or because, you know, you like basketball?  And there is an outside chance this team catches fire at the right time.

I absolutely love basketball, but I hate the way that this team plays basketball right now.  "Painful" doesn't begin to cover it.  It's especially painful because of how well I remember what it was like to watch this team when they were playing really good basketball and lighting up the league.  That was one of the purest pleasures I knew.

[Chris]

We are in the process.  This is a transition-season.  We have tons of expiring contracts - just gotta wait it out

Bridge year! 

That is absolutely what we are in.  I know it has a bad connotation because of the Sox, but it is what it is.  They are not going to tie their hands to reload this summer, by making a shortsighted move right now.

Basically it just means that the only reason to bother watching this year is because it's the last chance we'll get to see some of these guys playing, at least in Celtics green. 

Or because, you know, you like basketball?  And there is an outside chance this team catches fire at the right time.

I absolutely love basketball, but I hate the way that this team plays basketball right now.  "Painful" doesn't begin to cover it.  It's especially painful because of how well I remember what it was like to watch this team when they were playing really good basketball and lighting up the league.  That was one of the purest pleasures I knew.

Understandable.  Although right now, this is pretty much what we are seeing all around the league.  And, the basketball the C's are playing right now, is still a couple steps above what we will be seeing if they start really rebuilding.  So, be careful what you wish for.

[StartOrien]

I'm having a hard time seeing a scenario in which it would be worth it to re-sign Ray, as much as I'd love to see him play here for another year or three. 

If we have cap space and can' acquire anyone else, I wouldn't mind seeing Ray come back for another year. 1 year deal only though.

[PosImpos]

Understandable.  Although right now, this is pretty much what we are seeing all around the league.  And, the basketball the C's are playing right now, is still a couple steps above what we will be seeing if they start really rebuilding.  So, be careful what you wish for.

Yeah, watching a Wizards-like C's team will be painful, too.  But mixed in with that pain will be the excitement and hope of 'potential.'

I'm having a hard time seeing a scenario in which it would be worth it to re-sign Ray, as much as I'd love to see him play here for another year or three. 

If we have cap space and can' acquire anyone else, I wouldn't mind seeing Ray come back for another year. 1 year deal only though.

For Ray's sake, I'd rather he go play for a contender.  He can go chase a ring with the Knicks, Bulls, Clippers, or really any competitive team willing to give him a one year MLE deal.  Ray's skills would be useful to any contender, as long as he's okay being a 6th man.

[Marcus13]

We are in the process.  This is a transition-season.  We have tons of expiring contracts - just gotta wait it out

True, but there are other uses for expiring contracts than simply letting them expire. If a high-caliber player becomes available in a salary dump, I have no doubt that Ainge will pull the trigger.

Absolutely - but I dont think that player is out there right now or we would have heard about it.  Maybe as we get closer to the All-Star break and the trade deadline

[Marcus13]

We are in the process.  This is a transition-season.  We have tons of expiring contracts - just gotta wait it out

What is your realistic idea of what we could get with our cap space this summer?

My fear is that we use half of it to keep the band together.

I think Eric Gordon is a very realistic opportunity for us.  New Orleans isn't going to want to pay him as they are between owners.  A Rondo-Gordon backcourt would be exciting for the next 7 years or so

[Chris]

We are in the process.  This is a transition-season.  We have tons of expiring contracts - just gotta wait it out

True, but there are other uses for expiring contracts than simply letting them expire. If a high-caliber player becomes available in a salary dump, I have no doubt that Ainge will pull the trigger.

Absolutely - but I dont think that player is out there right now or we would have heard about it.  Maybe as we get closer to the All-Star break and the trade deadline

Exactly.  Right now, no one is making moves like that.  There is an outside possibility it happens in March (although, again, I don't think there are many quality players that will be had in a salary dump right now), but for now, its a waiting pattern.

[PosImpos]

We are in the process.  This is a transition-season.  We have tons of expiring contracts - just gotta wait it out

True, but there are other uses for expiring contracts than simply letting them expire. If a high-caliber player becomes available in a salary dump, I have no doubt that Ainge will pull the trigger.

Absolutely - but I dont think that player is out there right now or we would have heard about it.  Maybe as we get closer to the All-Star break and the trade deadline

Exactly.  Right now, no one is making moves like that.  There is an outside possibility it happens in March (although, again, I don't think there are many quality players that will be had in a salary dump right now), but for now, its a waiting pattern.

I don't know that any true building blocks will become available in a virtual salary dump, but I think that it's possible that we could trade an expiring contract for a player or players that will have trade value this summer and beyond. 

In other words, we don't have to trade Ray for a star -- young roleplayers, experienced players with some value, and first round picks could be worth it to us, too.  Of course, the value of any such assets would have to be weighed against the cap space we'd be giving up for this summer.

[LooseCannon]

KG, I just can't see it.  He makes so much money, and has become so mediocre that there are incredibly few scenarios where a trade could match up.  Basically, he would have to be traded for someone else who is paid like a star, and there are not many guys like that who are not either not going to be traded for a guy like KG, or a guy on a terrible contract that the C's would have no interest in.

If I wanted to "blow up" the team (and I don't), the scenario I would look for to trade KG would be a Baron Davis-like deal where you take on a bad multi-year contract from a bad team if they give you an unprotected lottery pick as compensation.

I suspect the Celtics might be better off with KG for next year in the $7-10 million range rather than trading him.