Now I understand why no big-name free agent wants to come here.

[CelticsFan9]

Paul just got traded to Clippers, and the Clippers will trade him in a minute if it made their team better. The only problem with the Clippers is they would not know better if it dropped and hit them on the head.

Kobe has won 5 rings for the Lakers, there is no one on thr Celtics that comes close to that, and the Lakers will trade Kobe if it makes them better.

Dirk is the cornerstone of the Mavs why trade him?

Dirk and Kobe have no trade clauses in their contracts.

If the Lakers found a trade that they liked where they would send Kobe out, they'd have to get Kobe to agree to the trade as well.  Same goes for Dirk.

[JOMVP]

Why should the Celtics organization stay loyal to any player in a day where players hold their team hostage all the time.

Orlando ben over backwards trying to show loyalty to Dwight Howard, where did that get them? The Celtics show players they are in control of their organization, not the players, and they make decisions on whats best for the team and what will make the team successfull. Danny Ainge thought he could trade Ray Allen to make the team better, so he tried. Players should respect that, its what they sign up for.

 The problem is players don't respect organizations, they expect respect from organizations, it usually never goes both ways. Thats why KG is so good, he respects the Celtics franchise.

[csfansince60s]

First, I usually read these forums and not post but with the heavy trade discussion threads, I wanted to take the time to tell you all something.

Most players don't want to come to Boston. Everyone knows it. Those that do want to come, you can thank Doc Rivers for that. The rest, who don't want to come, choose not to because they fear getting traded. While that may not completely be the reason, it is a major factor. Don't you think all this trade drama surrounding Allen in the past has affected others? No one wants to go through that.

Luckily, we have Doc Rivers, someone almost every player wants to play for. Now that some players are finally letting go of that feeling and deciding to actually join the Celtics, we are once again doing the same thing that they have always feared.

We just signed Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee, and others. These players (including Jeff Green) want to play here, and we want to trade them? Not only that, but for who? Josh Smith. Agreed that he is a good player, but is he someone good enough to risk forming that fear of trade once again in free-agents' minds?

As for why I decided to create this thread now, I have been seeing many threads with fans already ready to trade Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass.

If anything, Courtney Lee is the player that will likely change players' attitudes towards joining Boston, which will only be positive for us. Yet you want to trade him, and do all negative?

Is that really what we are about? Signing and givings hopes to players, and then trading them away in their first or second year without a solid reason?

 Here's your 1st TP for your first post......

Welcome to Celticsblog a fun and stimulating place with a lot of thought provoking opinions bound by our common love of the Cs.....

Loyalty in professional sports is now (unfortunately) a weakness rather than a strength.

I think Courtney Lee will prove to be a very sound investment and hope he is not included in any trades. He came here at a discount. He will prove to be a bargain.

[KGs Knee]

Hahahahahahahahahaha!

The sentiment in the OP is absurd non-sense.

Players don't avoid Boston due to ideas discussed on a blog, and surely don't avoid Boston for fear of being traded.

[CantBeRight]

What are you talking about??

[Boris Badenov]

This year we signed the following free agents:

Kevin Garnett
Brandon Bass
Jason Terry
Jeff Green
Courtney Lee

This list includes one of the three best PG free agents, one of the top 5 SGs, arguably the best free agent C, one of the top 3 free agent PFs, and one of the top 3 free agent SFs.

The Celtics had one of the two best free agent hauls of the 2012 season (Brooklyn being the other).

And I don't know about you, but I consider Kevin Garnett to be a "big name." He had the second-best postseason of any player in the league last year.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

This year we signed the following free agents:

Kevin Garnett
Brandon Bass
Jason Terry
Jeff Green
Courtney Lee

This list includes one of the three best PG free agents, one of the top 5 SGs, arguably the best free agent C, one of the top 3 free agent PFs, and one of the top 3 free agent SFs.

The Celtics had one of the two best free agent hauls of the 2012 season (Brooklyn being the other).

And I don't know about you, but I consider Kevin Garnett to be a "big name." He had the second-best postseason of any player in the league last year.

EXACTLY! KG wanted to stay, JET wanted to come, Lee waited when he didn't have to BECAUSE he wanted to come here, Green wanted to be here because of how the ORGANIZATION took care of him, Bass stayed b/c he loved it here, and Cox wanted to come back... all of those guys said they wanted to be here because of the winning tradition and how the team... and everyone says how it's a family (EVEN Ray after leaving)!!! Being traded or trade talks is part of a business, they would have a bad business practice to keep people just, "because"... you SHOULD try to make your team better EVERY chance you get! Just b/c you are a potential trade piece does not mean the people don't care about you and what you did for the organization, it just means they had to do what's best for the organization. Say you work for your parents but you are performing well below standards and running the business into the ground... are they suppose to let you continue working until you ruin their business, does it mean they don't love you if they fire you and bring in a better worker? NO! They had to do what's best for business but they still love you!

[badshar]

I am not saying that free agents don't want to come here because they read about us wanting to trade people in our posts, but because this is what happens in real life. I used the people in this blog as an example. Sure every team explores trade options for their players, but its not like those players are almost dealt at almost every single deadline. Why would anyone want to play in Boston when they are almost dealt at every single deadline but the offer falls through? Players don't need to read these blogs to know it, they can see it every year. After Allen created all this drama about getting tired of almost being traded every year, many nba players thought to themselves that they could suffer through the same thing.

Courtney Lee is the door that will lead others to come here. If he gets traded too in his first year in a deal that isn't that important, then no free agent will even think of coming here and they will always have that fear.

No one wants to sign a contract with one team and then get traded and have to suffer with that contract on a bad team.

[bucknersrevenge]

I am not saying that free agents don't want to come here because they read about us wanting to trade people in our posts, but because this is what happens in real life. I used the people in this blog as an example. Sure every team explores trade options for their players, but its not like those players are almost dealt at almost every single deadline. Why would anyone want to play in Boston when they are almost dealt at every single deadline but the offer falls through? Players don't need to read these blogs to know it, they can see it every year. After Allen created all this drama about getting tired of almost being traded every year, many nba players thought to themselves that they could suffer through the same thing.

Courtney Lee is the door that will lead others to come here. If he gets traded too in his first year in a deal that isn't that important, then no free agent will even think of coming here and they will always have that fear.

No one wants to sign a contract with one team and then get traded and have to suffer with that contract on a bad team.

Is this serious? Honest question. The NBA is a business. It's not personal. And anyone who views what the Celtics have done as anything else than that is using the same misguided lens that Ray Allen did. And seriously, aren't we done discussing Ray Allen and the supposed transgressions he faced? Danny doesn't seek out moving guys. He looks for ways to improve the roster. And what happened to Ray has and will have little bearing on future free agents. Every situation is its own. And what exactly makes Courtney Lee a "doorway" for anything? None of this makes any sense.

[Tai]

I am not saying that free agents don't want to come here because they read about us wanting to trade people in our posts, but because this is what happens in real life. I used the people in this blog as an example. Sure every team explores trade options for their players, but its not like those players are almost dealt at almost every single deadline. Why would anyone want to play in Boston when they are almost dealt at every single deadline but the offer falls through? Players don't need to read these blogs to know it, they can see it every year. After Allen created all this drama about getting tired of almost being traded every year, many nba players thought to themselves that they could suffer through the same thing.

Courtney Lee is the door that will lead others to come here. If he gets traded too in his first year in a deal that isn't that important, then no free agent will even think of coming here and they will always have that fear.

No one wants to sign a contract with one team and then get traded and have to suffer with that contract on a bad team.

So suddenly being almost traded is worse than actually being traded? That's what I'm not getting here. If "almost" counts in this case, how are we worse than teams who actually traded players?

[badshar]

When players see others like Jeff Green, Courtney Lee, JET, Brandon Bass willingly joining the Celtics, that will be an attraction for other players. KG, Pierce, and Rondo have already done enough damage by getting under players' skins, and those players don't like these guys. The only way they would even have a little thought of joining the Celtics is if they see others like them wanting to join the team.

Also, almost getting traded every single year is worse than getting traded and getting it done with. No one wants to know they have been traded and then 2 minutes later be told that that the deal fell through. That is bad enough once, its even worse when it happens almost every single year.

[Celtics18]

TP to Badshar for a good first post.  I often feel depressed by the lack of loyalty in this league by management, players, and fans alike.  I think a little more loyalty from all parties would make the league more enjoyable and a more worthwhile product. 

Having said that, I don't really think that Celtics management has operated with less loyalty to the players than any other franchise out there.  As a Celtics fan, sometimes it seems that way because I read every trade rumor and suggestion to the point where I want to throw up, but this stuff happens all the time, every day with every team in the league. 

I want to add that I think that the Celtics have been on a real upswing as far as becoming a top destination for NBA players over the course of the last five seasons. 

The Celtics franchise is back in a big way.  A lot of us may want to whine and act like we are fans of the Toronto Raptors every time the Lakers or the Heat sign a good player, but that's just belly aching as far as I'm concerned.  There are at least 26 or 27 teams' fan bases who are jealous of the Boston Celtics. 

[slamdunk]

  Three reasons most marquee FA's wont come to Boston.

1) the weather sucks

2) Most current NBA players grew up watching the Celtics as doormats.  Only recently have the Celtic's become relevant again.

3) High taxes.


  Players get traded in every league by every team.  Players are no more loyal to teams then teams are to players.  That's why we root for the laundry.  Welcome to 2012.

  Oh and the Celtics are now relevant again THANKS TO DANNY AINGE so kids growing up today will look at the Celtics in a far better light then the players playing in the NBA today do.

4. http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/8177081/massachusetts-police-officer-punished-directing-racial-slur-boston-red-sox-carl-crawford

[SAS]

Obviously the NBA is a business and players are well-paid adults who understand that being traded is part of that business.

Still, as the OP points out, another part of that business is being able to attract talent to your city and franchise.  Boston is not LA, where the weather and celebrity culture along with the winning tradition sells itself.  What's made the Celtics attractive in recent years is the success of the team on the floor and Doc Rivers' presence as coach.  Insofar as what the players like about Doc is his belief in ubuntu and family and loyalty, I think the Celtics would be wise to protect this part of the brand going forward, perhaps more than Danny Ainge and some of the armchair GM's would like.  The loyalty doesn't have to blind, i.e. they don't have to say, "we are never trading" a given player.  But I do think loyalty should be taken into some consideration, in the sense that the team shouldn't be so eager to flip guys like Bass, Green, and Lee after they just signed.  Those guys wanted to be here.  That's worth something today, and showing some loyalty to those guys will be worth something to the franchise in the future.

[Rondooooooooo]

yeah this is bologna no offense, if a GM isn't exploring all his options he isn't doing his job and should be fired. if the team isn't performing you can't say "oh he's been here is whole career, even tho he isn't performing we can't trade him". i love paul but if he started playing terribly i wouldn't be surprised if he was dealt, ainge is just a business man who is trying to get the most out of his product and you can't fault him for trying to.