Logically, Ainge should be looking to trade Brandon Bass

[LooseCannon]

There are two scenarios.

A) Bass declines his player option for next season and possibly leaves as a free agent, with the Celtics getting nothing in return.
B) Bass uses his player option and takes up cap space that Ainge would like to have available over the summer.

Consider these other two scenarios.

A) Ainge blows up the team.  Bass is not a player who should be in the team's long-term plans, therefore it makes sense to trade him for an asset.
B) Ainge doesn't blow up the team.  With Wilcox and Johnson, power forward is a position of depth and it would make sense to trade Bass for a taller player who, unlike Johnson, can play as a center.

Understanding that roster management is as much about salary cap issues as it is about talent, it makes sense to trade Bass.  Even if you think he is great for the bench, you often have to give something of value to get something in return.  I don't know if there is a good trade out there that can be done, but it is something that Ainge should be looking at.

[Eja117]

tp...highly logical. 

[indeedproceed]

I agree. Highly logical, Spock. I clicked on the thread ready to defend Bass, but logically you're on to something.

[wdleehi]

Yes, they should when he has proven himself to be healthy again. 


This is the catch when you get a guy on a one year contract and he out plays it.  In the NBA, that's the guy most likely to be overpayed. 

And rebuilding teams should not overpay for role players.  Overpay for true stars, but not role players. 

[letsgoblue86]

I've been thinking this all along.  If he's not part of the rebuilding, trade him.

I just think that Ainge and Doc love this guy so much that they wouldn't do it.

[chambers]

I've been thinking this all along.  If he's not part of the rebuilding, trade him.

I just think that Ainge and Doc love this guy so much that they wouldn't do it.

This is Danny Ainge. Remember a guy called Kendrick Perkins?

It's logical to include Bass as a sweetner in any deal because of  his one year status. His value his very high and if he ain't in the long term plan, sell him while he's high.

[Inside-Out]

I've been torched several times for suggesting Bass is a guy we can afford to lose.  "He's our best bench player," they say.  "He's the only scorer..." they say.  "He plays solid and consistent ball," they say.  They even say he's our 2nd best big, even though he's an undersized bench player.

He's a 7th man on any good team.  Any way you slice it, a team looking to vault into contention should be very ready to part with their 7th man, regardless of the contract issues.

TP for working through the cap side of things in a simple and concise way, though.  Bass is definitely not a central piece of any future plan, and heaven help us if he is.

[birdbrady]

Bass is for sure in a deal with the Lakers for Gasol if it is made.  We just need to make sure we aren't sending a 1 the Lakers way with Rondo's pathetic play.

[PosImpos]

The main issue with Bass is that he only has value to a team looking to win now or shed a bad contract because he's likely to opt out of his contract at the end of the season and look for a payday on the free agent market.

That said, I think there are a couple contending teams who might surrender a future 1st for him -- particularly the Clippers, who are desperate for backup bigs.

[apc]

any chance Hornets will be interested?
maybe Bass and JO for Kaman?

[PosImpos]

any chance Hornets will be interested?
maybe Bass and JO for Kaman?

I can't imagine why.  We'd have to throw in a pick.  Wouldn't be worth it.

[Eja117]

The main issue with Bass is that he only has value to a team looking to win now or shed a bad contract because he's likely to opt out of his contract at the end of the season and look for a payday on the free agent market.

That said, I think there are a couple contending teams who might surrender a future 1st for him -- particularly the Clippers, who are desperate for backup bigs.

True. That whole Kenyon Martin thing isn't going so well and B Griffin could use a tutor/mentor/workout buddy with half a brain.

[2short]

Dunno, an extension might be another idea.  He can run with rondo next season

[youcanthandlethetruth113]

I agree. Highly logical, Spock. I clicked on the thread ready to defend Bass, but logically you're on to something.

Same here!

[indeedproceed]

I've been torched several times for suggesting Bass is a guy we can afford to lose.  "He's our best bench player," they say.  "He's the only scorer..." they say.  "He plays solid and consistent ball," they say.  They even say he's our 2nd best big, even though he's an undersized bench player.

He's a 7th man on any good team.  Any way you slice it, a team looking to vault into contention should be very ready to part with their 7th man, regardless of the contract issues.

TP for working through the cap side of things in a simple and concise way, though.  Bass is definitely not a central piece of any future plan, and heaven help us if he is.

This I don't see as a valid arguement to deal Bass. Yes, he's ideally 7th guy on a very good team (he's the 6th man for us), but he's been playing very well, he fills a real need, and he seems to have bought into what the Celtics are doing without adding any headaches (except for the mystery of the unknown ailment).

If contract issues don't matter, you only part with that guy if its necessary to get a deal done that will unmistakably improve your team. You don't 'take a flier' on a guy with Bass.

I think Perkins is a very good parallel. IF contract issues didn't matter, you don't trade Perkins for anything other than a clear win, and that's only if he's demanded as part of the deal.

But, we're obviously not contenders right now, and contract issues do matter, and trading Bass is likely the smart move, assuming you can get real value for him, instead of a bad contract.