Why can’t we contend and rebuild at the same time?

[csfansince60s]

I think that we all can agree that what we would all like is to be able to contend and rebuild at the same time without one compromising the other. Contend meaning the ability to make a deep playoff run and with luck have a chance at 18. Rebuild meaning to acquire young assets either to trade or as our future while maintaining cap flexibility.

Most on this board feel that contending and rebuilding, given our circumstances, are mutually exclusive. I am not so sure.

Our two most tradable assets are Pierce and Rondo. In order to be able to contend and rebuild, we need to find teams that want to win now (Pierce) and/or need a point guard and have young assets and/or draft picks as well as players who can help us now.

To get a combination of players/picks that can help us now to contend and to build for the future, we need to find teams who are disenchanted with a player(s) that we can “buy low” on or a player who is a redundancy or a contract burden on that team.

I believe that there are more than a few teams, and most are out west, who fit one or both of our requirements of either players who help us now or younguns/draft picks and who need a point guard or premier SF to put them into contention:

Utah: PP and RR for AlJeff (redundant), Devin Harris (buy low), Hayward/Burks,picks
Portland: PP and RR forCamby, Batum, Felton (buy low) 2012 1st and 2014 1st
Lakers: Rondo or Pierce plus JO for Gasol and one of LA’s two 2012 1sts
Denver: Pierce and JO for Andre Miller, Birdman, Mozgov or a S&T Chandler and Denver’s 2012 1st
Houston: Pierce for younguns/expirings…….all come to mind.

Thoughts on being able to both contend and rebuild using Pierce and Rondo?

Thoughts on other scenarios, trading Rondo and Pierce either separately or in tandem that are more likely?

[indeedproceed]

I don't think the Celtics can 'reload on the fly' (the term often used for attempting what you're talking about), because the core is too weak. The Lakers could MAYBE do it, because Bryant/Gasol/Bynum is the second best 3-person tandem in the league, second only to the Heat.

[PosImpos]

I think the only one of those with any chance of happening is the Houston one, which wouldn't really help us in the 'contend now' category.

Indeed, I don't think any of those trades would really make us 'contend now.'  A couple of them might make us somewhat better (debatable), but they'd hurt our cap flexibility in the future and make us no more likely to make it out of the first round.

[csfansince60s]

I think the only one of those with any chance of happening is the Houston one, which wouldn't really help us in the 'contend now' category.

Indeed, I don't think any of those trades would really make us 'contend now.'  A couple of them might make us somewhat better (debatable), but they'd hurt our cap flexibility in the future and make us no more likely to make it out of the first round.

How about the Houston trade in tandem with Rondo and JO to the Jazz for AlJeff (they want Kanter/Favors to get more minutes) who will give us an inside offensive presence and rebounding and Devin Harris who is much better than he is showing this year in all aspects of his game and one of their 2012 1sts?

Utah wants to be rid of Harris and Jefferson's contract as he is redundant. They are a point guard away from being formidable.

[SHAQATTACK]

Easy... 1) this is not 1976 anymore.  

2)Priorities, what matters to players, their selfish attitudes, on , on , on , ......  nothing is the same.

3) Lastly were are not gods and Sterns appointed golden haired team  

the LA LAKERS are.  Thats just the way it is.  The Media darlings....

Boston just plain needs some freakin luck for once. Stuff like the Jeff Green illness and such , just never ends with this team, its almost like An chapter of the X FILES.

DA has good intentions ....we'll see what he can pull out of thin air.

[celtic -_- pride]

because if you are rebuilding then you suck and dont have a realistic shot at the finals. when you rebuild its about getting guys experience but not to expect to win games. if you want to rebuild making the playoffs is the last thing you want.

[PosImpos]

I think the only one of those with any chance of happening is the Houston one, which wouldn't really help us in the 'contend now' category.

Indeed, I don't think any of those trades would really make us 'contend now.'  A couple of them might make us somewhat better (debatable), but they'd hurt our cap flexibility in the future and make us no more likely to make it out of the first round.

How about the Houston trade in tandem with Rondo and JO to the Jazz for AlJeff (they want Kanter/Favors to get more minutes) who will give us an inside offensive presence and rebounding and Devin Harris who is much better than he is showing this year in all aspects of his game and one of their 2012 1sts?

Utah wants to be rid of Harris and Jefferson's contract as he is redundant. They are a point guard away from being formidable.

Harris / Big Al / Terrence Williams is not a contending core, nor is it really a group with which I'd want to begin the rebuilding process.

[csfansince60s]

I think the only one of those with any chance of happening is the Houston one, which wouldn't really help us in the 'contend now' category.

Indeed, I don't think any of those trades would really make us 'contend now.'  A couple of them might make us somewhat better (debatable), but they'd hurt our cap flexibility in the future and make us no more likely to make it out of the first round.

How about the Houston trade in tandem with Rondo and JO to the Jazz for AlJeff (they want Kanter/Favors to get more minutes) who will give us an inside offensive presence and rebounding and Devin Harris who is much better than he is showing this year in all aspects of his game and one of their 2012 1sts?

Utah wants to be rid of Harris and Jefferson's contract as he is redundant. They are a point guard away from being formidable.

Harris / Big Al / Terrence Williams is not a contending core, nor is it really a group with which I'd want to begin the rebuilding process.

I agree that they are not a contending core, i.e for next year, but for this year they give us two things we don't have: a legit 5 and a shooting 1.

Al gives us rebounding (including defensive rebounds) and an offensive post presence, neither which we have. Harris is having a misearable year in Utah, partly of his own accord  and partly the coach and the circumstances. He is lightnig quick and can score. This year, it is a bad situation for both him and the Jazz. He is an 80% career free throw shooter and is shooting 68% this year. Free throw shooting ability just doesn't disappear. He badly needs a change of scenery, hence the "buy low".

Also, Al and Harris both expire in '13. That gives us tremendous cap flexibility this year (KG and Ray expiring) and next (Al and Harris expiring).

If we got a first from both Houston and one of the Jazz's, we would have Al, Harris, THill, Thabeet, Parsons, Green/Bass, Bradley and perhaps a cheap Ray or KG or whatever we get in free agency and 4 1sts going into next year with Al and Harris expiring. I could live with that.

[mctyson]

I think that we all can agree that what we would all like is to be able to contend and rebuild at the same time without one compromising the other.

That is what Danny is trying to do right now.

That is why he went so hard after Chris Paul with Rondo.  We'd get immediately better, lose a few pieces for the future, but we'd still have a relatively young superstar to build a contender around (Paul.)

It's harder to make that case with Rondo but it's still possible.  And Rondo does not become any less tradable next year than this year, his contract is still very reasonable and he is still young.