Ray Allen has the Knicks and Heat at the top of his free agency list

[cman88]

Well if Mannix is correct that Ray's gone. KG is going to retire, and Pierce will be dangled in a trade, then the Cs are going to be a very bad team for the next few years unless Danny does something stupid and signs a bunch of free agents from a weak class just because he has salary cap money burning a hole in his pocket.  

I don't think Ainge will do that.  I think we'll either bring everyone back, or go into rebuilding mode.

They are not paying Rivers that salary to coach a rebuilding team.

watch for something big to happen Draft night...alot of the players we have worked out are lottery picks..it doesnt make sense for them/us to have workouts unless there is a chance we move up in the draft.

I think Ainge is going to move into the 10-15 range and pick up a prospect..either a PF or a shooting guard.

next year, they will be groomed by our Vets..kind of like how Reggie lewis/Len Bias were supposed to be by our old big 3

[arambone]

If Danny was going to dangle Ray like that before the deadline, he should have made sure a deal happened.

I'd be p!ssed too. I'm pretty sure KG was p!ssed about his own name being tossed around like that as well.

Just because they played hard for the rest of the season doesn't mean they feel any loyalty at all to Danny after he insulted them like that.

[cman88]

If Danny was going to dangle Ray like that before the deadline, he should have made sure a deal happened.

I'd be p!ssed too. I'm pretty sure KG was p!ssed about his own name being tossed around like that as well.

Just because they played hard for the rest of the season doesn't mean they feel any loyalty at all to Danny after he insulted them like that.

Allen, maybe not.

KG is probably one of the most loyal players in the league...if he decides to play next year, he wont make it to free agency..book it

[Tr1boy]

I was thinking a likely scenerio that could happen is Allen signing 2 year deal with Clippers , who are sick and tired of going nowhere.

Then we workout a three way deal, and send Pierce and one of our late first picks for the 8th (TOR) + additional player/pick and Toronto trades pierce to the clips for Nick Young, Caron Butler.

Lots that we can do with the 8th pick

Good shot for Pierce and Allen to make things work with the clips. Pierce is from the LA area

[Jon]

Here's the deal: everyone is going to talk about how Ray wants more money and a bigger role than what the Celtics can offer, but who actually can and will offer that to him?

No one is going to offer him more than the MLE and I question who would offer him a starting role.  He certainly wouldn't start on Miami. 

I really think a 2 year deal at more than the MLE will trump more than almost any team will and can offer. 

[StarzNBarz]

Here's the deal: everyone is going to talk about how Ray wants more money and a bigger role than what the Celtics can offer, but who actually can and will offer that to him?

No one is going to offer him more than the MLE and I question who would offer him a starting role.  He certainly wouldn't start on Miami. 

I really think a 2 year deal at more than the MLE will trump more than almost any team will and can offer. 

Well the Clippers for one. Start Ray and bring Nick Young off the bench. It all depends on what Billups will do.

And the Knicks. They really don't have a TRUE SG. Shumpert started at the 2 for them last year but I'm sure they would love to have Ray and would start him then bring Shumpert to back up Ray or Lin

[KJR]

KG will either retire or return to Celtics.  He's loyal.  He loves playing for Doc.  He's in a good situation with Rondo and Bradley on defense.  He knows he just needs help up front.  Josh Smith?

Ray will probably return to the Celtics.  There's no other potential contending team that will offer him more minutes or a better role.  He would have less minutes in Miami.  Chicago is an option, but they have Rip Hamilton, and defense is a priority there also.  Dallas has Terry.  OKC has Harden and Sefolosha.  Clippers are an option, but they have Mo Williams.  Salary offers should be comparable.  Why go elsewhere for an extra 1-2 million per year?  He can finish games in Boston and get 30 minutes a night.  Bradley is the perfect complement, defense, legs, cutter.  He could be the best thing for Ray's effectiveness and longevity.  If the C's offer him $5 million per year for 2 years, I think he'll stay.  His comments the last week indicate strongly to me he'll stay if the C's make him a reasonable offer.

My team for next year would be:

starters: KG, Josh Smith, Jeff Green, Avery Bradley and Rondo
bench: Etwaun Moore, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, Sean Williams

plus 2 draft picks, Pietrus, Dooling and Stiemsma or Hollins or Johnson

don't know if Smith is available or if the money works to sign him, KG, Allen, Green and Bass;
but seems like a reasonable possibility

starting lineup would be the best defensive lineup ever with KG, Smith, Bradley and Rondo; would be a good rebounding lineup, and an athletic and quick lineup; the weakness is outside shooting at the 2-3

bench would have phenomenal shooting and experience, and would save Allen and Pierce's legs; they might even close games; imagine if they could be fresh in the 4th Q and playoffs!

very proud of the team this year; and pretty psyched about next year

without a Durant, Lebron, Duncan, or D Rose draft pick, you're not going to have an instant dynasty ... and even then, it doesn't always work out

I think this organization has done a phenomenal job

[Q_FBE]

That link is utter nonsense. Three point shooting is a commodity and they are a dime a dozen out there. The Celtics with Bird rights to Ray Allen can offer him more than anyone else. My Hammy is a horrible destination for Ray Allen when they have five or six outside shooting options. The Knicks make a little more sense  but Ray would not go to a rival Celtics team. Tom Thibadeaux in Chicago would not give him much PT because Ray Allen does not play very good defense. Sign and trade with the Clippers, Portland, Grizz, or Indiana makes a lot more sense to me.

[clover]

That link is utter nonsense. Three point shooting is a commodity and they are a dime a dozen out there. The Celtics with Bird rights to Ray Allen can offer him more than anyone else. My Hammy is a horrible destination for Ray Allen when they have five or six outside shooting options. The Knicks make a little more sense  but Ray would not go to a rival Celtics team. Tom Thibadeaux in Chicago would not give him much PT because Ray Allen does not play very good defense. Sign and trade with the Clippers, Portland, Grizz, or Indiana makes a lot more sense to me.

What makes you think Ray would not go to a rival team?  NY would be by his CT home and near plenty of good doctors for his son.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

They could o anywhere..but they have to get past the "Starter" thing......pp, kg, ray....all need to be "coming in off the bench" as the term goes......and NOT every game....they are still very good...but in a long season.....if i were coaching them..i would save them more for the playoffs...make sure they play and are in shape..but not worn out and therefore injury prone......they could stay here..but doc would ruin this teams future with his style of sitting so called rookies for a lifetime......uhm, Greg popovich anyone.....we played Bradley, look at how good he got....jjj.....moore......plenty of others....doc has to go......he has terrible vision for a team.....

[colincb]

Well if Mannix is correct that Ray's gone. KG is going to retire, and Pierce will be dangled in a trade, then the Cs are going to be a very bad team for the next few years unless Danny does something stupid and signs a bunch of free agents from a weak class just because he has salary cap money burning a hole in his pocket.  

It will take 5-10 years barring a miracle to return to contender status since outside of Rondo, we have no tradeable assets that would get us any value and our young players haven't shown much except for Bradley who still looks more like a quality back-up than a starter after his offensive problems during the playoffs when opposing coaches included him in their game plans.

The C's will never be a very bad team as long as Rondo is on the roster.

Like in 2007 with more talent than they would have if (big, big IF) Mannix is right? Take the Big 3 off this club and the cupboard is pretty bare after Rondo.  Maybe Bradley will turn out better than I'd expect, but he doesn't appear to have all-star potential, Bass is an OK starter, and we'd have no starting 3 or 5.

[indeedproceed]

While I think it's naive to think that ray Allen hasn't entertained the thought of playing elsewhere, he's the type of guy who can't  go into things unprepared. But, he's less than 24 hours removed from likely his third or second most emotional playoff loss of a very long career. He doesn't know his butt from a hole in the ground, none of them do. They don't know what they're gonna do next week likely let alone next season. This is birdcage lining, it'll it was ever fit to print in the first place.

[colincb]

KG will either retire or return to Celtics.  He's loyal.  He loves playing for Doc.  He's in a good situation with Rondo and Bradley on defense.  He knows he just needs help up front.  Josh Smith?

Ray will probably return to the Celtics.  There's no other potential contending team that will offer him more minutes or a better role.  He would have less minutes in Miami.  Chicago is an option, but they have Rip Hamilton, and defense is a priority there also.  Dallas has Terry.  OKC has Harden and Sefolosha.  Clippers are an option, but they have Mo Williams.  Salary offers should be comparable.  Why go elsewhere for an extra 1-2 million per year?  He can finish games in Boston and get 30 minutes a night.  Bradley is the perfect complement, defense, legs, cutter.  He could be the best thing for Ray's effectiveness and longevity.  If the C's offer him $5 million per year for 2 years, I think he'll stay.  His comments the last week indicate strongly to me he'll stay if the C's make him a reasonable offer.

My team for next year would be:

starters: KG, Josh Smith, Jeff Green, Avery Bradley and Rondo
bench: Etwaun Moore, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, Sean Williams

plus 2 draft picks, Pietrus, Dooling and Stiemsma or Hollins or Johnson

don't know if Smith is available or if the money works to sign him, KG, Allen, Green and Bass;
but seems like a reasonable possibility

starting lineup would be the best defensive lineup ever with KG, Smith, Bradley and Rondo; would be a good rebounding lineup, and an athletic and quick lineup; the weakness is outside shooting at the 2-3

bench would have phenomenal shooting and experience, and would save Allen and Pierce's legs; they might even close games; imagine if they could be fresh in the 4th Q and playoffs!

very proud of the team this year; and pretty psyched about next year

without a Durant, Lebron, Duncan, or D Rose draft pick, you're not going to have an instant dynasty ... and even then, it doesn't always work out

I think this organization has done a phenomenal job

Smith's not a free agent and there's no trade we could do with them that wouldn't include Rondo.

[colincb]

While I think it's naive to think that ray Allen hasn't entertained the thought of playing elsewhere, he's the type of guy who can't  go into things unprepared. But, he's less than 24 hours removed from likely his third or second most emotional playoff loss of a very long career. He doesn't know his butt from a hole in the ground, none of them do. They don't know what they're gonna do next week likely let alone next season. This is birdcage lining, it'll it was ever fit to print in the first place.

This rings true to me.

[tonyto3690]

1.  Knicks are loaded with guards and are already having trouble finding enough minutes for everyone

2.  The Heat have Wade, and Wade is not going to come off the bench for Ray.  The only reason I can see Ray leaving is because he wants to start somewhere.


Dallas and the Clippers are the only real possibilities to steal him. 

Dallas is unlikely because they have Terry who would take a big chunk of his minutes and all of his clutch time minutes (in all likelyhood the Mavs will have DWill and neither Ray nor Terry are playing the 3 with 5 minutes to go in the fourth quarter against LBJ/Durant/Gay/etc. 

The Clippers makes a lot more sense, but I'd still be pretty surprised.  That's a move on the other side of the country for a middling mediocre playoff team and I think they're just going to stick with Billups anyways.