Wojnarowski Article. Is Pierce getting traded?

[PosImpos]

Even if the team is still struggling in late February or early March, I still wouldn't consider trading Pierce unless it were for a young piece, some picks, or some combination thereof.

I think the main temptation in trading Pierce is going to be in securing even greater amounts of cap space moving forward.  I doubt we'll see any teams offering great packages of talent / picks.

The problem is that the team could theoretically secure that cap space just as easily by simply amnestying Pierce this summer or next.

However, trading him instead would be a way for the team to save face publicly while accomplishing the same goal, while also getting some minor assets in the process.

Doubt they amnesty him. They would like some assets most of all, but also using the amnesty provision severely impacts where he can go play. He might get picked up by a team under the tax and be in a less then ideal situation. Doubt they do that to him.

exactly.  trading Pierce allows them to get him off the books without the PR disaster of screwing over their long-time franchise player that way.

if you trade Pierce, you can spin it like you're trading him to a better team so he can have the chance to win another championship -- you're doing him a favor.

[ScoobyDoo]

The logical trade to me, for both teams, is:

Celtics trade Pierce, Chris Wilcox and Keyon Dooling
Clippers trade: Butler, Mo Willimas, Bledsoe & Trey Thompkins
* Butler and Williams make the numbers work.
* Bledsoe and Thompkins make it work for us, the future.

Caron is good but he is no Paul Pierce in crunch time and Mo Williams is a rental for the Clippers, he's gone in another year.

** And yes, Pierce is worth all that to the right team, because a lineup of:

DAndre Jordan / Wilcox
Blake Griffin / Reggie Williams
Pierce / Gomes
Billups / Foye
Chris Paul / Dooling

Will win an NBA championship this year if healthy.

This being said, I would only trade Pierce if he was ok with it and if he wanted to try and win a few more titles before he was done, otherwise I'd honor the deal I made with him and use the cap space once his contract expired.

Pierce gets some home cooking and another ring or two...it;s not a bad ending...

  

[CelticsFan99]

Even if the team is still struggling in late February or early March, I still wouldn't consider trading Pierce unless it were for a young piece, some picks, or some combination thereof.

I think the main temptation in trading Pierce is going to be in securing even greater amounts of cap space moving forward.  I doubt we'll see any teams offering great packages of talent / picks.

The problem is that the team could theoretically secure that cap space just as easily by simply amnestying Pierce this summer or next.

However, trading him instead would be a way for the team to save face publicly while accomplishing the same goal, while also getting some minor assets in the process.

Doubt they amnesty him. They would like some assets most of all, but also using the amnesty provision severely impacts where he can go play. He might get picked up by a team under the tax and be in a less then ideal situation. Doubt they do that to him.

Amnesty doesn't provide salary cap relief anyways, it only provides luxury tax relief.

I would hate to see Pierce go.  I don't think it would be worth trading him for cap space at this point anyways.  Possibly trade him for young pieces you think you could build around, but Garnett and Allen coming of the books will give enough cap space to sign to superstars (if there are even two that would be willing to sign), so freeing up more cap space by getting rid of Pierce leaves you with nothing if you can't get multiple premier free agents to come play here.

[PosImpos]

Even if the team is still struggling in late February or early March, I still wouldn't consider trading Pierce unless it were for a young piece, some picks, or some combination thereof.

I think the main temptation in trading Pierce is going to be in securing even greater amounts of cap space moving forward.  I doubt we'll see any teams offering great packages of talent / picks.

The problem is that the team could theoretically secure that cap space just as easily by simply amnestying Pierce this summer or next.

However, trading him instead would be a way for the team to save face publicly while accomplishing the same goal, while also getting some minor assets in the process.

Doubt they amnesty him. They would like some assets most of all, but also using the amnesty provision severely impacts where he can go play. He might get picked up by a team under the tax and be in a less then ideal situation. Doubt they do that to him.

Amnesty doesn't provide salary cap relief anyways, it only provides luxury tax relief.

Eh, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure this isn't true.  You still have to pay the player, but their salary isn't on the books anymore.

[j804]

Even if the team is still struggling in late February or early March, I still wouldn't consider trading Pierce unless it were for a young piece, some picks, or some combination thereof.

I think the main temptation in trading Pierce is going to be in securing even greater amounts of cap space moving forward.  I doubt we'll see any teams offering great packages of talent / picks.

The problem is that the team could theoretically secure that cap space just as easily by simply amnestying Pierce this summer or next.

However, trading him instead would be a way for the team to save face publicly while accomplishing the same goal, while also getting some minor assets in the process.

Doubt they amnesty him. They would like some assets most of all, but also using the amnesty provision severely impacts where he can go play. He might get picked up by a team under the tax and be in a less then ideal situation. Doubt they do that to him.

exactly.  trading Pierce allows them to get him off the books without the PR disaster of screwing over their long-time franchise player that way.

if you trade Pierce, you can spin it like you're trading him to a better team so he can have the chance to win another championship -- you're doing him a favor.

I wonder how Pierce would feel about it though, isn't he along with Kobe one of the 2-3 to play with one team in the league for the pass x amount of years? It's tough.

[Kane3387]

I think we are looking at a Denver or a Portland team where Pierce would go. Denver has a surplus of wings and an expiring in Andre Miller to make a deal work. Portland could move Batum, but I don't know how they make the salaries fit. Indiana could move Granger, but I doubt they do. I am sure Orlando inquired but they have nothing we want. Philly has Igoudala, but like a Granger deal I don't see it. Atlanta could move Smith, but they really need him with Horford out.

Dallas and San Antonio don't have anything we want. Doubt Memphis moves Gay. The Clippers are out of assets. He's not going to LAL. Maybe Utah would move one of their bigs for him. I just don't see a team that has what we would be looking for in a trade and is a team he could go to and have a chance to make a run at a title this year.

[esel1000]

I think we are looking at a Denver or a Portland team where Pierce would go. Denver has a surplus of wings and an expiring in Andre Miller to make a deal work. Portland could move Batum, but I don't know how they make the salaries fit. Indiana could move Granger, but I doubt they do. I am sure Orlando inquired but they have nothing we want. Philly has Igoudala, but like a Granger deal I don't see it. Atlanta could move Smith, but they really need him with Horford out.

Dallas and San Antonio don't have anything we want. Doubt Memphis moves Gay. The Clippers are out of assets. He's not going to LAL. Maybe Utah would move one of their bigs for him. I just don't see a team that has what we would be looking for in a trade and is a team he could go to and have a chance to make a run at a title this year.

this years nuggets have a shot at it I think... did you see their game against the heat? put pierce in the lineup and thats a very scary team

[rondohondo]

I think we are looking at a Denver or a Portland team where Pierce would go. Denver has a surplus of wings and an expiring in Andre Miller to make a deal work. Portland could move Batum, but I don't know how they make the salaries fit. Indiana could move Granger, but I doubt they do. I am sure Orlando inquired but they have nothing we want. Philly has Igoudala, but like a Granger deal I don't see it. Atlanta could move Smith, but they really need him with Horford out.

Dallas and San Antonio don't have anything we want. Doubt Memphis moves Gay. The Clippers are out of assets. He's not going to LAL. Maybe Utah would move one of their bigs for him. I just don't see a team that has what we would be looking for in a trade and is a team he could go to and have a chance to make a run at a title this year.

why not caron butler, Bledsoe and Foye or Gomes and a future pick for PP , dooling and filler?

[Kane3387]

Even if the team is still struggling in late February or early March, I still wouldn't consider trading Pierce unless it were for a young piece, some picks, or some combination thereof.

I think the main temptation in trading Pierce is going to be in securing even greater amounts of cap space moving forward.  I doubt we'll see any teams offering great packages of talent / picks.

The problem is that the team could theoretically secure that cap space just as easily by simply amnestying Pierce this summer or next.

However, trading him instead would be a way for the team to save face publicly while accomplishing the same goal, while also getting some minor assets in the process.

Doubt they amnesty him. They would like some assets most of all, but also using the amnesty provision severely impacts where he can go play. He might get picked up by a team under the tax and be in a less then ideal situation. Doubt they do that to him.

Amnesty doesn't provide salary cap relief anyways, it only provides luxury tax relief.

Eh, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure this isn't true.  You still have to pay the player, but their salary isn't on the books anymore.

That was the old CBA. In this one it does provide Cap relief. It's how the Knicks got to sign Chandler in FA. They amnestied Billups and created cap room.

[Kane3387]

I think we are looking at a Denver or a Portland team where Pierce would go. Denver has a surplus of wings and an expiring in Andre Miller to make a deal work. Portland could move Batum, but I don't know how they make the salaries fit. Indiana could move Granger, but I doubt they do. I am sure Orlando inquired but they have nothing we want. Philly has Igoudala, but like a Granger deal I don't see it. Atlanta could move Smith, but they really need him with Horford out.

Dallas and San Antonio don't have anything we want. Doubt Memphis moves Gay. The Clippers are out of assets. He's not going to LAL. Maybe Utah would move one of their bigs for him. I just don't see a team that has what we would be looking for in a trade and is a team he could go to and have a chance to make a run at a title this year.

why not caron butler, Bledsoe and Foye or Gomes and a future pick for PP , dooling and filler?

Butler is old and is on the books for 3 more years at like 8 mill per year. I can't see us sacrificing the cap flexibility for Eric Bledsoe and what will likely be a low pick for years to come. Not a bad trade but it doesn't fit with the direction the team is going in.

[PosImpos]

Even if the team is still struggling in late February or early March, I still wouldn't consider trading Pierce unless it were for a young piece, some picks, or some combination thereof.

I think the main temptation in trading Pierce is going to be in securing even greater amounts of cap space moving forward.  I doubt we'll see any teams offering great packages of talent / picks.

The problem is that the team could theoretically secure that cap space just as easily by simply amnestying Pierce this summer or next.

However, trading him instead would be a way for the team to save face publicly while accomplishing the same goal, while also getting some minor assets in the process.

Doubt they amnesty him. They would like some assets most of all, but also using the amnesty provision severely impacts where he can go play. He might get picked up by a team under the tax and be in a less then ideal situation. Doubt they do that to him.

Amnesty doesn't provide salary cap relief anyways, it only provides luxury tax relief.

Eh, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure this isn't true.  You still have to pay the player, but their salary isn't on the books anymore.

That was the old CBA. In this one it does provide Cap relief. It's how the Knicks got to sign Chandler in FA. They amnestied Billups and created cap room.

Right.

[Kane3387]

The logical trade to me, for both teams, is:

Celtics trade Pierce, Chris Wilcox and Keyon Dooling
Clippers trade: Butler, Mo Willimas, Bledsoe & Trey Thompkins
* Butler and Williams make the numbers work.
* Bledsoe and Thompkins make it work for us, the future.

Caron is good but he is no Paul Pierce in crunch time and Mo Williams is a rental for the Clippers, he's gone in another year.

** And yes, Pierce is worth all that to the right team, because a lineup of:

DAndre Jordan / Wilcox
Blake Griffin / Reggie Williams
Pierce / Gomes
Billups / Foye
Chris Paul / Dooling

Will win an NBA championship this year if healthy.

This being said, I would only trade Pierce if he was ok with it and if he wanted to try and win a few more titles before he was done, otherwise I'd honor the deal I made with him and use the cap space once his contract expired.

Pierce gets some home cooking and another ring or two...it;s not a bad ending...

  

That deal just kills our cap space for the next couple years. I only see this deal happening if it is contingent on other deals getting done.

[rondohondo]

Here's the trades I have come up with for contenders

Bos sends: PP,Dooling, Wilcox
Lac sends: Butlers, Bledsoe and filler

Bos sends: PP, Daniels, JO
Por sends: Wallace , Camby(injured + expiring)

Bos sends: PP, Dooling , Daniels
Den sends: Miller(expiring) Fernandez and Brewer and expiring filler

I think I would do all of those trades.

[esel1000]

Here's the trades I have come up with for contenders

Bos sends: PP,Dooling, Wilcox
Lac sends: Butlers, Bledsoe and filler

Bos sends: PP, Daniels, JO
Por sends: Wallace , Camby(expiring)

Bos sends: PP, Dooling , Daniels
Den sends: Miller(expiring) Fernandez and Brewer

I think I would do all of those trades.

If those are my 3 options id take the 3rd... ive always liked rudy fernandez, he'd be a good piece to rebuilding team

[letsgoblue86]

Here's the trades I have come up with for contenders

Bos sends: PP,Dooling, Wilcox
Lac sends: Butlers, Bledsoe and filler

Bos sends: PP, Daniels, JO
Por sends: Wallace , Camby(expiring)

Bos sends: PP, Dooling , Daniels
Den sends: Miller(expiring) Fernandez and Brewer

I think I would do all of those trades.

If those are my 3 options id take the 3rd... ive always liked rudy fernandez, he'd be a good piece to rebuilding team

I think we can get more than this.  The Denver trade looks decent on paper, but Miller does not help us get younger, Fernandez has played awful this year, and Brewer hasn't even sniffed the court in Denver.  And i've never thought Brewer was actually that good.