Life without Paul

[bostonfan23]

Paul and KG are retiring after the season.

Book it.

Allen should follow.

Just because you want them to retire doesn't mean anyone should book it.

[ScoobyDoo]

I think Paul has way too much basketball in him to retire - as does KG - both as starters. Ray has enough left to be a great role player off the bench when healthy.

KG and Paul will go down together and I think if Paul gets traded somewhere - KG will sign with whoever in the east he thinks will give him the best chance to stick it to Boston - maybe Miami, Chicago or the Knicks.

My money is on both of them coming right back home to Boston, as well as Ray for the right money. And then us using the xtra we have to reload again.

[bostonfan23]

KG and Paul will go down together and I think if Paul gets traded somewhere - KG will sign with whoever in the east he thinks will give him the best chance to stick it to Boston - maybe Miami, Chicago or the Knicks.

Why would KG "stick it to Boston"? He has incredible loyalty, that's one of the few things we know about him.

[CelticG1]

KG and Paul will go down together and I think if Paul gets traded somewhere - KG will sign with whoever in the east he thinks will give him the best chance to stick it to Boston - maybe Miami, Chicago or the Knicks.

Why would KG "stick it to Boston"? He has incredible loyalty, that's one of the few things we know about him.

Yeah I think that is a complete joke as well. I also think KG genuinely doesn't like most of those guys either (Bosh, Wade, Lebron, Chandler, Amare, Boozer)

[sofutomygaha]

Paul and KG are retiring after the season.

Book it.

Allen should follow.

I'm glad that's all sorted out. Have you told them, yet?

KG is healthy right now. When was the last time that a top-20 player who was perfectly healthy decided to retire? Has that ever happened in the NBA?

[drax]

KG is healthy right now. When was the last time that a top-20 player ...

Top 20 player, ouh thats harsh. He's a Top 15 PF/C but not Top 20 overall.

We all should hope he comes back on a good one/two year deal, because he's THE defensive anchor and hopefully the mentor to our 2012 draft picks. I really dont like our options if KG decides to retire this year. 

[bucknersrevenge]

Paul and KG are retiring after the season.

Book it.

Allen should follow.

I'm glad that's all sorted out. Have you told them, yet?

KG is healthy right now. When was the last time that a top-20 player who was perfectly healthy decided to retire? Has that ever happened in the NBA?

Perfectly healthy?? I think is a MAJOR assumption to think KG wants to go through another training camp, then another 82 game season(not just 66 like this year) and playoffs as well. Remember KG didn't come into camp in shape. He was thinking the lockout was gonna be longer. And consider this season's long playoff run. He's gonna have how long to rest before he has to go about getting ready to play another 110 total games(and practices)? Training camp I imagine starts in late September. KG has been in this game a long time. If the C's put up a good showing or heaven forbid beat the Heat, I could easily see KG feeling comfortable with hanging it up feeling that he left everything he had on the court for one last run.

If KG leaves, I think Ray leaves. And if that happens then we need to have an honest discussion with Paul about what he wants. Because I think we go into full rebuild mode if KG doesn't come back and if Paul wants to finish out his contract with that, I'm good with it. If not, he can be amnestied or traded if a deal can be worked out.

[pearljammer10]

Life without Paul Pierce is going to be absolutely terrible. Not just from a basketball standpoint but as a celtics fan in general. We are incredibly lucky to have been able to watch Paul play for the last 13 years. Not seeing him step on the court is going to be a terrible empty sight.

I would never even consider trading Paul Pierce for Gasol. What a joke of an idea. Pierce, old or not, brings so many different things to the game that Gasol is not able to. And that is realistic right there.

[SHAQATTACK]

yep Paul has saved this team so many times I can't count them . And he never gave up on this team and ran off .

He was loyal and ...deserves to be treated the same as long as he want to wear the Boston jersey.

[greenpride32]

OP - You do realize there is a minimum salary cap that each team must make?  You can't really say it makes no financial sense for a rebuilding team to hold onto a high salaried player because they need to meet this cap one way or another (whether it be a near max to max contract, or 2 or 3 mid-salary guys).  There are other considerations for a team that's rebuilding such as marketing and sales.  No owner is going to field an entire B team to tank it for draft picks.

[Jon]

I see no reason to say that we can or cannot rebuild a certain way.  Rebuilding is really going to be about acquiring assets and maintaining financial flexibility.  Paul Pierce on the team or not really doesn't hinder that one way or another except this summer.

However, this summer doesn't matter.  There's no one worth signing.  

While he'll still be on the books come the center of 2013, if Danny really wants to move him, he'll likely be even more valuable then, as his skills will likely still be strong and he'll be an expiring contract.  

Overall, I'd bring KG (and quite possibly Ray) back for 1-2 more years.  During this time, I'd let the Big Three impart as much wisdom as possible on the young guys while staying very competitive (and possibly still contending).  At the very least, this will develop a winning culture and give the young guys playoff experience.  Come 2013 or 2014 (depending if KG gets 1 or 2 years), we then evaluate our situation.  

Has Bradley become a star?  Has Jeff Green further developed?  Has anyone else we've drafted (Johnson, our two first rounders this year) become stars?  

If Danny is confident he can build a new contender with this group, he uses the cap space from KG and PP to make a free agent push.  If he thinks he can't contend with this group, he can look to make trades like he did to get the Big Three to begin with.  

[lightspeed5]

chris broussard said yesterday that the "paul pierce for the nets top-3 protected draft pick" trade was good until pierce's agent stopped the trade from happening.

IDK if this is already common knowledge, I had no idea his agent stopped the deal from happening.

[guava_wrench]

yep Paul has saved this team so many times I can't count them . And he never gave up on this team and ran off .

He was loyal and ...deserves to be treated the same as long as he want to wear the Boston jersey.

No. If he wants to play 10 more years, he can do it elsewhere.

He was payed a lot to stay here. The Celtics treated him quite well and they really don't owe him any more than he owes them.

[LarBrd33]

chris broussard said yesterday that the "paul pierce for the nets top-3 protected draft pick" trade was good until pierce's agent stopped the trade from happening.

IDK if this is already common knowledge, I had no idea his agent stopped the deal from happening.

Yeah... that trade would have been a gamble, eh?  What if the Nets end up in the top 3 this year?  It rolls over until next year... but what if next year the Nets have Dwight Howard and Deron Williams on their team? ... Pick could end up in the mid 20s.  I was all for "blowing it up" and that was a pretty fantastic trade when you consider it would potentially have net a lotto pick and cap space... but that pick could have ended up being nothing.  

Nets ended up doing the trade for Gerald Wallace instead.  They are currently projected 6th and the pick is top 3 protected.  It will be really interesting to see how the ping pong balls bounce.  It seems to me a lot of dominos could fall depending on what happens with that Nets pick.  I'm in the boat that thinks Dwight will get traded and most likely to Brooklyn... pretty interested to see how that lotto pick changes things from that standpoint.

[sofutomygaha]

Paul and KG are retiring after the season.

Perfectly healthy?? I think is a MAJOR assumption to think KG wants to go through another training camp, then another 82 game season(not just 66 like this year) and playoffs as well. Remember KG didn't come into camp in shape. He was thinking the lockout was gonna be longer. And consider this season's long playoff run. He's gonna have how long to rest before he has to go about getting ready to play another 110 total games(and practices)? Training camp I imagine starts in late September. KG has been in this game a long time. If the C's put up a good showing or heaven forbid beat the Heat, I could easily see KG feeling comfortable with hanging it up feeling that he left everything he had on the court for one last run.

That "perfectly" part is your emphasis, not mine. He's 36, and at that age healthy is as healthy does. Right now, he may be the healthiest Celtic without a "uan" in his name.

Players who are that crazy competitive just don't tend to retire until they have to. Can you think of an example? I'm having a hard time coming up with one.