Ray was almost traded for OJ Mayo and Pierce for a lottery pick

[Kane3387]

Maybe not as close as being reported?... Although Ray Allen supposedly did receive a call.

It's my understanding that this proposed deal didn't have much shelf life because of the Celtics' asking price. Boston apparently wanted Mayo ($5.6 million), Mike Conley ($6.5 million), Dante Cunningham ($2 million) and rookie Josh Selby ($550,000) in a large transaction that included draft picks. It's unclear who the Celtics would have sent the Griz in addition to Allen ($10 million) to satisfy the nearly $15 million swap in salaries. Bottom line is that Grizzlies didn't want to part with so many assets (for a one-season rental) as was the case in 2009 when they entered discussions to acquire then-Phoenix forward Amar'e Stoudemire. Remember when the Griz balked at sending the Suns Conley, Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick in a large package to acquire Stoudemire?

[LarBrd33]

I guess the rumors were true about Ray this is from Woj he's usually pretty credible. It's crazy Allen actually got a call that he was gone. It's also crazy to think Pierce could have been gone wouldn't have been thrilled with that.

NEW YORK – As the NBA trade deadline lurched into its final hour a month ago, league sources say the call Ray Allen long feared had come: Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers was on the line, telling him he had been traded. Allen had been sent to the Memphis Grizzlies for a package including O.J. Mayo and a draft pick, and the Celtics' Big Three had come to a most brusque ending.
For 20 minutes or so, Allen had to process the information. They traded me to Memphis? And yet, as the disappointment dissolved to anger, Rivers returned with a messenger’s nightmare: Never mind. The deal fell apart. Take a deep breath and let’s go back to work again.

Ray Allen was nearly traded to the Grizzlies for O.J. Mayo. (Getty Images)
Before the Big Three could make it past the trade deadline, Allen-to-the-Grizzlies had to fall apart and discussions on a deal that would have sent Paul Pierce to the New Jersey Nets for an expiring Mehmet Okur contract and a lottery pick never reached completion, league sources said. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge loves the talent in the 2012 NBA draft, but he still gets one more run, one more chance with this group in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--celtics--big-three-nearly-split-at-trade-deadline.html;_ylt=AkWX6DZQyX9_DcNLtSVq3Gu8vLYF

I can understand RayRay for OJ, but Pierce for Okur and a pick?!

Wow is right.  Both of those trades would have been "blow it up" dreams come true.  OJ Mayo AND a draft pick for Ray?  You kidding me?  That would have been a heist.   The Pierce to jersey thing would have freed up another 16.7 mil next year + given us the Jersey lotto pick... That would have been absolutely amazing.

Luckily we have turned around our season and look like we might actually make some noise in the playoffs... but if our playoff run is a disappointment... it's really going to be depressing doing a recap of what we COULD have done long-term had we pulled off those trades.

[RajonRondo9Dime]

Obviously theses trades would have been great for the rebuilding process...

Although sitting where we are now, knowing what we know now, I can't say I'm disappointed those trades didn't go through.

However if we fail to win a title, we can go back to saying "DANG WE SHOULD HAVE MADE THOSE MOVES."

[paintitgreen]

If the trade offer was Allen for Mayo AND Conley plus Cunningham, I can't imagine that was ever given legitimate consideration by Memphis. They give away their only point guard and two of their three best bench players for a one year rental of a 36 year old shooting guard? No way. Just doesn't make any sense. If they're doing it to make a run at this year's title, it just doesn't make any sense to give away their point guard. So I doubt that was the offer being discussed.

I could, though, see the offer on the table being Mayo, Cunningham, Selby and a first rounder this year for Ray. Come playoff time, they have Conley and Arenas to handle all the minutes at the 1, TA and Ray to handle all the minutes at the 2, Gay and TA at the 3, Randolph, Gasol and Speights all the frontcourt minutes. Pondexter picks up spare minutes. At least it makes some sense for them, keeping their core group together but making a switch on the bench. And at $8.1 million v. $10, it gets under the 25% rule. And if they did it, they'd be over the luxury tax level, so they might not have dumped Sam Young, just paid the tax instead.

If that was the trade, I think Boston should have taken it both for the present and the future. Mayo takes a lot of Allen's minutes, but there's also a playing time boost for Bradley and Pietrus. Cunningham is an extra body who can give a few minutes at the 4 and the 3. I just don't see the team losing that much, if anything, this year. (Of course, we didn't know then that Bradley could be such a contributor.)

And for the future, they'd have an extra first round pick (so it becomes more feasible to combine two picks to move up 5-10 spots while still having another first rounder), Bird rights on a restricted free agent shooting guard who will be 24 when next season starts instead of an unrestricted free agent shooting guard who will be 37, and another 24 year old forward under contract at $2 mil a year for the next year or, if you take the option, 2. That would have been a no brainer trade to me and I'm a total sentimental sucker who would like to see all of the primary players from this run retire as Celtics.

I agree with the idea that the New Jersey trade wasn't actually gonna happen. New Jersey wanted Wallace and Portland was much more motivated to get rid of Wallace than Boston was to get rid of Pierce. I think that's dumb but seems to be the case. (Yes, Wallace is younger and cheaper than Pierce, but look at how much he's fallen off this year. And while younger than Pierce, he's not young, so his athleticism- and hustle-based game could drop off fairly quickly. It's possible Pierce has more effective years left in him than Wallace does.)

[Roy H.]

If the trade offer was Allen for Mayo AND Conley plus Cunningham, I can't imagine that was ever given legitimate consideration by Memphis.

I agree.  The opening offer may have included Conley, but I'm sure the deal that resulted in Ray being told he was traded didn't have Conley in it.

[Lucky17]

A month after the trading deadline passes, and we're hearing about a deal that was "this close" just now?

Color me skeptical.

[prov1ml34]

Per Gary Washburn on Twitter, Doc apparently acknowledged that this was legitimate:

gary washburn ‏ @GwashNBAGlobe 
Doc said it was Ainge who called Ray Allen about trade. "It was a scary moment," Rivers said. He did not want Ray traded #celtics

[Marcus13]

Doc confirms the report.

ahh, so this "injury" immediately after the deadline is making more and more sense

[paintitgreen]

Maybe not as close as being reported?... Although Ray Allen supposedly did receive a call.

It's my understanding that this proposed deal didn't have much shelf life because of the Celtics' asking price. Boston apparently wanted Mayo ($5.6 million), Mike Conley ($6.5 million), Dante Cunningham ($2 million) and rookie Josh Selby ($550,000) in a large transaction that included draft picks. It's unclear who the Celtics would have sent the Griz in addition to Allen ($10 million) to satisfy the nearly $15 million swap in salaries. Bottom line is that Grizzlies didn't want to part with so many assets (for a one-season rental) as was the case in 2009 when they entered discussions to acquire then-Phoenix forward Amar'e Stoudemire. Remember when the Griz balked at sending the Suns Conley, Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick in a large package to acquire Stoudemire?

By the way, where does this quote even come from?

On the discussion about Pierce's trade value ranking among small forwards, agree that due to age and salary he's behind Lebron, Durant, Carmelo, Granger and Gay. Also agree Portland and Denver would rather have Batum and Gallinari than Pierce because they're both a few years and moves away from really contending.

Given that the Bulls are contending now, though, I wouldn't be so quick to say they wouldn't consider Deng for Pierce. Thibs knows Pierce and knows how much more versatile they become against Miami if they have Pierce, who commands a lot more defensive attention than Deng and defends Lebron as well as anybody in the league has the past eight years. And I think at the trade deadline Philly would've seriously considered Iguodala for Pierce. They hadn't faded at that point, had a stranglehold on the 4 seed and were close to the 3 if not in that position. But Philly gets destroyed in close games because they have nobody (including Iggy) who can either create their own shot or shots for others. Pierce would be a big upgrade if they could go for a ring now. (Obviously, after their collapse, they're not close to contending and would thus be in the same boat as Denver and Portland.)

That leaves Leonard and Wallace from the list. On Wallace, if a team is in contention now, they'd rather have Pierce. If they're a couple years away, Wallace would be preferred. Leonard's sort of the same. But I think that San Antonio would absolutely deal Leonard and Jackson for Pierce if they could do that right now.

[RJ87]

I would've wholeheartedly supported the OJ/Ray trade - I've always liked OJ as a potential Ray replacement. Hopefully, this means we'll pursue him this offseason. Rondo + Mayo starting, with AB getting all of the back-up minutes at the 1 and 2 (he could def avg 30+ mins off the bench), and our guard rotation would be set for years.

[Tai]

A month after the trading deadline passes, and we're hearing about a deal that was "this close" just now?

Color me skeptical.

I seriously hope you're not insinuating this is the first time something like this has happened. Something like this arguably happened this year (re: Dwight Howard???)

[LarBrd33]

Ray would have failed the physical anyways.

[Galeto]

Tillery's reporting just doesn't pass the smell test.  If trade talks got far enough that Doc called Ray and told him he was traded or close to it, then I seriously doubt the Celtics were still haggling Memphis about getting Mike Conley.  I'm not a huge Mike Conley fan but there is no way Memphis would have given up their starting point guard, top reserve and a draft pick just for Ray.  They would have been effectively punting their season away.  Ainge is not that stupid to expect Memphis to agree to such a deal. 

I can see Ainge asking for Tillery's reported package but I can't see Ainge assuming it was realistic enough to where Ray gets delivered some stunning news.

[Celts Fan 92]

I can understand RayRay for OJ, but Pierce for Okur and a pick?!

I couldn't imagine Pierce bringing in much more than that.

are u kidding me? a top 5 small forward couldnt get u more then a washed up injury prone big man nd a 1st round pick who is gonna be a bust for the most part

In terms of trade value, Pierce is borderline top 10 in small forwards. If Danny tried to trade him for anyone on this list, the answer is definitely no:

Anthony
Durant
James
Iggy
Deng
Granger
Batum

It is probably no for these guys:

Leonard
Gallinari
Gay
G. Wallace

That puts Pierce 12th.

Trade value and current ability as a player are two different things.

NJ picked Gerald Wallace when they could have had Pierce, if the rumor is true.

Wallace is a middle of the pack SF who is on the tail end of his career.

rofl at Pierce being the 12th best small forward in the league nd how can you put rudy gay nd khawi Leonard in the same sentence this site amazes me sometimes man

[Fafnir]

I can understand RayRay for OJ, but Pierce for Okur and a pick?!

I couldn't imagine Pierce bringing in much more than that.

are u kidding me? a top 5 small forward couldnt get u more then a washed up injury prone big man nd a 1st round pick who is gonna be a bust for the most part

In terms of trade value, Pierce is borderline top 10 in small forwards. If Danny tried to trade him for anyone on this list, the answer is definitely no:

Anthony
Durant
James
Iggy
Deng
Granger
Batum

It is probably no for these guys:

Leonard
Gallinari
Gay
G. Wallace

That puts Pierce 12th.

Trade value and current ability as a player are two different things.

NJ picked Gerald Wallace when they could have had Pierce, if the rumor is true.

Wallace is a middle of the pack SF who is on the tail end of his career.

rofl at Pierce being the 12th best small forward in the league nd how can you put rudy gay nd khawi Leonard in the same sentence this site amazes me sometimes man

He was talking about trade value wise. For his on court production this year, and probably next year he's much higher. But after that he'll be in sharp decline as a player. Meanwhile most of those guys listed ahead of him have a LOT more good years in them, and in many cases have the potential to become a player similar to Pierce.