Wojnarowski Article. Is Pierce getting traded?

[kn 99]

Trade him for as many prospects and picks you can get. Give up this season. Get a lottery pick(celtics)+ the clippers pick+ whatever you could get through the Pierce trade. Put the future in this upcoming draft and Rondo,Green,Bass,etc.

[winsomme]

I don't think people have really thought through what "rebuilding" means. There are very few players out there that you even conceivably build around and even fewer that are even remotely available.

The only players on the horizon are KLove and DH and having Pierce is actually a selling point for landing these guys no a hinderance.

For all the people want to "rebuild," what exactly do you want on the other side of this thing? I mean, Caron Butler and Eric Bledsoe...that's not rebuilding that's not rebuilding...

2013??? No. You can't build a team around Eric Gordon and Josh Smith...

huh? so you are saying you can't build a team around Gordon or Smith, yet you want to keep pierce on the books at 35 years old making 16 mil for the next 3 years and have him as one of your cornerstones and Love and Dwight will be attracted to that ?

great logic there....

We have to rebuild after this year anyways so I don't see why we would hang on to PP if we can get a good return for him that opens up another 10 mil in cap space and lands us a young piece and/or pick

Den s+t JR Smith or Chandler and Andre Miller's expiring contract for PP and dooling.

I would do a trade like that in a second

Well let's just say that I would rather chew my arm off than watch a team built around Eric Bledsoe, Eric Gordon, Caron Butler, Trey Thompkins, and Josh Smith...and that's about what we'd be getting by blowing this current core up.....some combination of crappy third tier players that haven't won anything anywhere....

I really don't think people have thought through what "rebuilding" actually leaves you with...

as for keeping Pierce, yeah I think if Howard gets traded to the Clipps or the Lakers, the Cs could potentially trade Rondo for DWill (Nets will unload if DH is traded) and then use him to go after KLove (better playing for the Cs than that dysfunctional TWolves franchise).

then you resign KG and Ray for shorter money and you actually have a nice combo of young talent and proven vets...

it's a long shot, but at least it has an end point that makes sense...trading away the Big 3 for scraps gets you some hodgepodge lineup of underwhelming problem children...not what I want to watch play.

anyway. in the meantime, I'd rather see Danny get this current squad an actual center and see if they can recreate what they did at the beginning of last season with Shaq in the middle. that team could have won a Title and it's not that far from what we have now.

[byennie]

I agree on Butler and to a lesser extent Smith (I'd like him WITH Howard), but I think you are underrating Gordon. Not that we're gonna get him, but this is a guy who at 22 years old showed he can put up 25 PPG (what he averaged 1st half of last year before hurting his wrist). That's All-Star talent and with Rondo would be one of the best backcourts in the league.

[byennie]

If Pierce was happy (this matters to me for multiple reasons), these are some deals I would accept - of course we should get more if we could:

DENVER: Miller (expiring), Brewer (cheap, young, role player), 1st rounder

CLIPPERS: can't see it... Mo Williams has an expensive player option for next year that he'll probably exercise, Butler is locked in for multiple years, and we already have their 1st rounder this year. Maybe Williams + Bledsoe + Trey Thompkins + future 1st?

INDIANA: straight up for Granger? He makes slightly less money, is 5 years younger... is struggling right now (buy low?)

PHILLY: Nocioni (expiring), Hawes (expiring), 1st rounder (note: in my opinion Vucevic is the future C in Philly and already about equal with Hawes, but I don't exactly watch them much).

I can't see the Blazers trading Wallace, seems like a lateral move for them and doesn't really free up cash for us?

you would really make those crappy deals at the bolded? hahahahaha u really think thats enough for trading Paul Pierce?! man this site always amazes me daily

I didn't say they were equal value. Most people here would have us either pay Pierce a ton of money for 2 more years, or make up a totally unrealistic trade where we get a young star in return (who the heck is trading a young star for an old one that makes tons of money???).

If you're gonna rebuild you take what you can get. Having 3 1st rounders in a deep draft is a good start and a lot of leverage. Just look how we got here in the 1st place trading Delonte West, Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, and a #5 pick for Allen and Garnett.

I'd like to get more, and it would hurt, but yeah, I'd basically give him up for a 1st rounder if the alternative is treading water next year as a mediocre team. Obviously 2 picks or a better player coming back would be great.

[Celtics18]

Also, we are going to need Paul Pierce for our playoff run this season.

[rondohondo]

Also, we are going to need Paul Pierce for our playoff run this season.

You mean for our first rd exit this year?

[Celtics18]

Also, we are going to need Paul Pierce for our playoff run this season.

You mean for our first rd exit this year?

No.

[ugh]

Playoff run.....  

[LarBrd33]

if we can trade him for an expiring contract and a 1st round pick, I'd probably do it.  That goes for any of the big 3. 

[syfy9]

I wouldn't mind Pierce getting traded, for the benefit of the team. Hakeem was traded when he was declining. So was Malone and many others.

[Inside-Out]

I wouldn't mind Pierce getting traded, for the benefit of the team. Hakeem was traded when he was declining. So was Malone and many others.

Like Dominique Wilkins in a Celtic uniform...it just never quite fit right.

I hope Paul is in green if he's playing, but I wouldn't blame him for hanging it up after this season.

[Celtics18]

Playoff run.....  

That's what I said.  I have yet to count this team out.

[rondohondo]

Playoff run.....  

That's what I said.  I have yet to count this team out.

haha wow

[Celtics18]

Playoff run.....  

That's what I said.  I have yet to count this team out.

haha wow

Mock all you want.

[mcshane41]

It's the smart move to trade someone you can still get value for if your team is bound for a rebuilding plan. I'm holding out hope we get in shape and get hot and are adding pieces at the deadline not subtracting. However, consider this:

If the C's do it, they do it right or tarnish their reputation which won't help lure players here. The Clippers are the hottest team in the NBA, Paul's hometown... Can't ask for a better move for PP to close it out, Ray Bourque style.

So Butler & Bledsoe works salary wise. Question I have is who ELSE would want those pieces b/c all it gives the C's is a middling 3 and a young PG we don't really need. Oh and 7M in cap space next yr. I'd rather shift those pieces for a younger asset or picks and even more cap space. This is the bones of a deal that helps ATL at the 3, LAC gets a champion to show them the way and Boston gets some combination of young players and or picks to help the rebuild.

LAC - PP
ATL - Butler
BOS - Bledsoe, Hinrich (8M expiring)

Some picks or other players would certainly be tossed in but that is the basics. The C's would have ~45M in cap space. We could resign Jeff Green, offer a couple max deals..ho hum. That doesn't even address the players we could trade for using that cap space and the picks/players we acquire for PP... We have more options then we think...

And for free agents like Eric Gordon (who is a legit scorer) and Dwight Howard would have to look twice at Boston with Rondo in place already.