Pierce to Pacers trade in the works?

[Roy H.]

From the article:

The Pacers are $14.2 million under the cap...

Any idea where he is getting this number?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&key=0AodNvAy3ZYZmdGRZX0VjeC1wdC1GeTd4dDJKZGZvVVE&hl=en_US&gid=13

That shows them -$14.27 million below the cap.

[Chief]

From the article:

The Pacers are $14.2 million under the cap...

Any idea where he is getting this number?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&key=0AodNvAy3ZYZmdGRZX0VjeC1wdC1GeTd4dDJKZGZvVVE&hl=en_US&gid=13

That shows them -$14.27 million below the cap.

Wow, Larry has really done a good job.

[snively]

Can't see Indy moving George in a Pierce deal.  Cost-controlled for the next 2.5 seasons, very nice two-way player already, a lot of potential with his size and skillset. 

Their best offer for Pierce would probably be Granger (and given how poorly Granger has played this season, we could probably get a pick thrown in).  Swap out a younger, more athletic scorer for a more well-rounded but older star. With Collison merely average as a playmaker and Paul George better suited to playing off-ball, Indiana would definitely benefit from having a scorer/distributor like Pierce in that 3-spot.

Granger's not at Paul's level, but he is 5.5 years younger and about $3 mil cheaper.

[jdub1660]

This would need to be a 3 team trade where we get more back and send out more. Swapping Pierce for PG is great, but nowhere near an adequate deal for either team.

The Celtics need a complete refacing of the team with some added youth. Find a way to send out Pierce, KG and JO. Throw in Bradley and I think there's enough pieces there to revamp a few teams evenly

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

From the article:

The Pacers are $14.2 million under the cap...

Any idea where he is getting this number?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&key=0AodNvAy3ZYZmdGRZX0VjeC1wdC1GeTd4dDJKZGZvVVE&hl=en_US&gid=13

That shows them -$14.27 million below the cap.

Wow, Larry has really done a good job.

Yeah he has ... all that talent and he's still $14M under the cap? He's put that team in a fantastic position.

[StartOrien]

Also, with Indiana struggling to put butts in their seats I can't  imagine them wanting to take on Paul Pierce's 16 million dollar a year contract without any real guarantee that the team will get all that much better.

[Tone]

I doubt the pacers would give Paul George up for Paul pierce.

[ScoobyDoo]

The goals are:

1. To Sell tickets
2. To Win championships

Paul Pierce is an "ideal" fit for the Pacers. He has plenty left in his tank, without question. He can let Granger run and then take over when necessary. Neither Granger or George are closers in the same way Pierce is. Pierce would sell tickets and give them a money man down the stretch, which is what they are missing. It's unclear what Paul George's arc is. 

Hibbert
West
Pierce
Granger
Collison

Puts them in contention and that's what it's about -championships

I would only trade Pierce if he wanted to go because he didn't want to stick around for rebuilding.

Pierce for George, Hansbrough and a pick.

Otherwise I don't need to trade Pierce.     

[LarBrd33]

If anyone is confused by this let me help explain it.

With KG and Ray expiring at the end of the season (and Pierce still on the books) we could potentially have roughly 20-24 million in cap space in the offseason (after our two 1st round draft picks).   That 20-24 mil in cap space is only obtained if you renounce the bird rights to KG and Ray.  So... you could theoretically sign Dwight Howard to a contract starting at 20 mil... but then you are basically saying goodbye to Ray, KG and i'll add Jeff Green as well (unless they sign for the vet minimum).  There would be no money left. 

So you can head into the offseason and feel free to split up that 20 million however you'd like.  POSSIBLY the 20 mil is just enough to re-sign KG (7 mil), Ray (7 mil) and Jeff Green (6 mil), but I doubt it.  KG might retire so maybe you just split the money between Jeff Green and Ray.  Maybe you split the 20 mil with a couple signings (Jeff Green 10 mil, Greg Oden 10 mil) and say goodbye to Ray and KG.   The main point is... you are NOT going to keep this team intact and add a superstar.  It's not possible.

So this is why we are seeing hypothetical Paul Pierce trades.  Pierce makes 16.7 million next year.  If you traded him right now for Amundson (expiring 2.7) and Paul George (2.6 mil next year), you would be freeing up another 14 million dollars in the offseason.   That's significant. 

What it means is that you'd have 34-38 million dollars in cap space next year.  In other words, enough to theoretically sign Dwight HOward to a 20 mil contract AND have 14 million left over to doll out how you see fit (another impact star?... bring back KG and Ray on cheaper deals?... sign Jeff Green?... )  It offers more flexibility for our rebuild.

As for Paul George... Indiana fans seem to think he's a phenom.  He was the #10 pick last year.  He's turning 22 years old in May.  A 6'8" 215 pound SG/SF.  I have to assume that if you guys are anything like me, you have never paid attention to Paul George play (maybe you saw him a couple times against Boston at the most... not enough to generate a worthy opinion).  So I can't really judge him.  I'd link you to a highlight video, but that would be pointless (you can make highlight videos out of anyone).  Needless to say, it's set to rap music and has him flying all over the place, doing 360 dunks and finishing breathtakingly with authority... so I can guesstimate he has some athleticism that would fit nicely with Rondo's skillset.

If the Pacers were to include a 1st rounder... it would really difficult to pass that up.  But of course... the hypothetical Pacers/Celtics trade might simply be a baseless rumor anyways.

There you go... this is why trading Paul Pierce for Paul George makes sense, but trading Paul Pierce for Granger (makes like 12-13 million) or David West (makes about 10 mil) doesn't make a lick of sense.

[TripleOT]

Pierce plus generic one year stopgap big Chris Wilcox for Granger and Hansborough would be something that helps the Pacers, and is probably a wise move if the Cs are ready to move on entirely from the Big 3.

Indy will absolutely need a go to crunch time star if that team is going to advance to the ECF, and Pierce can be that guy for two years while Paul George grows into a star. Hansborough is expendable with West in the fold.  

Boston gets a younger, cheaper, less talented player in Granger, who could use a change of scenery, and a live bodied big that this team desperately needs.  Either guy has enough value to be flipped for something good down the road.    

[LarBrd33]

If anyone is confused by this let me help explain it.

With KG and Ray expiring at the end of the season (and Pierce still on the books) we could potentially have roughly 20-24 million in cap space in the offseason (after our two 1st round draft picks).   That 20-24 mil in cap space is only obtained if you renounce the bird rights to KG and Ray.  So... you could theoretically sign Dwight Howard to a contract starting at 20 mil... but then you are basically saying goodbye to Ray, KG and i'll add Jeff Green as well (unless they sign for the vet minimum).  There would be no money left. 

So you can head into the offseason and feel free to split up that 20 million however you'd like.  POSSIBLY the 20 mil is just enough to re-sign KG (7 mil), Ray (7 mil) and Jeff Green (6 mil), but I doubt it.  KG might retire so maybe you just split the money between Jeff Green and Ray.  Maybe you split the 20 mil with a couple signings (Jeff Green 10 mil, Greg Oden 10 mil) and say goodbye to Ray and KG.   The main point is... you are NOT going to keep this team intact and add a superstar.  It's not possible.

So this is why we are seeing hypothetical Paul Pierce trades.  Pierce makes 16.7 million next year.  If you traded him right now for Amundson (expiring 2.7) and Paul George (2.6 mil next year), you would be freeing up another 14 million dollars in the offseason.   That's significant. 

What it means is that you'd have 34-38 million dollars in cap space next year.  In other words, enough to theoretically sign Dwight HOward to a 20 mil contract AND have 14 million left over to doll out how you see fit (another impact star?... bring back KG and Ray on cheaper deals?... sign Jeff Green?... )  It offers more flexibility for our rebuild.

As for Paul George... Indiana fans seem to think he's a phenom.  He was the #10 pick last year.  He's turning 22 years old in May.  A 6'8" 215 pound SG/SF.  I have to assume that if you guys are anything like me, you have never paid attention to Paul George play (maybe you saw him a couple times against Boston at the most... not enough to generate a worthy opinion).  So I can't really judge him.  I'd link you to a highlight video, but that would be pointless (you can make highlight videos out of anyone).  Needless to say, it's set to rap music and has him flying all over the place, doing 360 dunks and finishing breathtakingly with authority... so I can guesstimate he has some athleticism that would fit nicely with Rondo's skillset.

If the Pacers were to include a 1st rounder... it would really difficult to pass that up.  But of course... the hypothetical Pacers/Celtics trade might simply be a baseless rumor anyways.

There you go... this is why trading Paul Pierce for Paul George makes sense, but trading Paul Pierce for Granger (makes like 12-13 million) or David West (makes about 10 mil) doesn't make a lick of sense.

A few more notes on the above...

I doubt Indiana would give up both Paul George AND a 1st rounder for Pierce.  That's pretty much a best-case scenario for a Celtic trade:  #1, Free up 14 mil in cap space, #2, get a young prospect, #3,  Get a 1st round draft pick... all for the 34 year old Pierce.  Doesn't get much better than that.


If the Celtics did this, the 34-38 mil in capspace gives them a TON of flexibility.  They could use that to trade for guys already under contract (obligatory Josh Smith and Al Jefferson mentions), hold onto some of that cap space until 2013, sign a couple top free agents, some one top free agent and bring back Ray and KG... etc

One last hypothetical.  Deron Williams seems to be saying he'll follow Dwight Howard.  If you had 38 mil in cap space, you could sign both Dwight Howard AND Deron Williams... and then sell off Rondo to the highest bidder.   Deron, Dwight, Paul George, 3 first round draft picks + whatever we net from the Rondo trade is a pretty nice rebuild idea    

[nickagneta]

edit

[Marcus13]

That is highway robbery. No chance in hell Indiana does this deal

[PosImpos]

If the C's could get a deal like this, though, I say trade Pierce.  I want to see him get a chance to win something of significance (even just a playoff series or two) in his last few years in the league.  He won't get that playing here.