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

[Onslaught]

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.

This is not accurate.

Kobe won about 2 rings for LA, Shaq won the others.   2 Rings is only one more then what Pierce has, and Kobe's teams haven't had as many roadblocks (especially injuries) along the way.  If Boston had been healthy there is a very good chance Pierce would have 2-3 rings by now.

As for players that are untradable...

Kevin Durant, Lebron James.  I think they are about the only two players in the NBA that absolutely would not get traded, regardless of the offer.

The most untradable players Boston have right now would be Rondo and KG.  Neither is necessarilly off limits, but I don't see either going.

Rondo is just too valuable to the team right now.  He's probably more valuable to Boston then to any other team because they can no longer ride a youngish KG, Pierce and Allen.  Both Pierce and KG have but at couple of years in them, and Boston needs a clear franchise player moving foward - Rondo is that guy.

Likewise KG would be tough to pull away.  With all the young players we have brought in Boston needs a couple of veteran leaders to teach them the ropes, and there is no better man for that job then KG.  Not only is there the value of his 'off court' characterstics, but on the court he is still one of the best 7 footers in the game and he is still the backbone of Boston's defense.

No doubt either of those guys is tradeable for the right price, but what would it take?  Boston would take no less then Chris Paul / Deron Williams / Derek Rose for Rondo (and that latter two are 'maybe') and for KG someone would need to offer them an all-star calibre talent. 

Pierce is the more likely of the three to go, but I still think they'd need a pretty great offer at this point to let him go.  Any less then an 'Iggy' level player and I doubt they'd do it.  Especially with Ray gone, Pierce's scoring and versatility are important to this team and difficult to replace.

I can't agree with this thinking. That's like saying Pippen, McHale or Worthy don't have rings. Shaq was the main guy on the team but Kobe was the number two guy. They can't win without the other on those Laker teams.

[kozlodoev]

Other then Howard (who didn't even want to go to Chicago) what start player have we been after in the last 5 years that's turned us down?

does oj mayo count?

David West?

I'm sorry, but "turned down" and "didn't take a discount to play for us" are not the same things. The only two players in recent memory who went to other places when they could have made at least as much money with the Celtics are Howard and Allen.

[xmuscularghandix]

For the Celtics to start landing big-name guys, we need to show players they can expect the same loyalty from us that the Lakers showed to Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher.

TP

[Interceptor]

I'm sorry, but "turned down" and "didn't take a discount to play for us" are not the same things.

It was also reported that Bird chased him pretty hard, calling him up personally. Add that to the money, and it's hard to fault David West for his choice.

[bfrombleacher]

For the Celtics to start landing big-name guys, we need to show players they can expect the same loyalty from us that the Lakers showed to Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher.

And Metta World Peace too...basically their entire starting lineup + sixth man in the 2010 championship.

[thenotoriousjts]

Flawed arguments everywhere. LA has shopped everybody but Kobe in recent years.

[TripleOT]

Although  not a FA, the biggest catch this past 5 years besides LeBron was KG, and he chose to come to Boston.

Regarding the state income tax issue, and whether it dissuades top level FAs from signing in Boston, please be advised that pro athletes are taxed in the states in which they perform, meaning that about one-half their salary is being taxed in the various states that have state income tax,  since half their games are on the road. 

There are 41 home games.  That would put a state income tax burden on a $17m max salary of around $400k. 2.5% of your gross salary to play in Boston over a state income tax free state like Florida or Texas is probably not a deal breaker for most FAs.

NYC has a city income tax on top of a very high 8.97 state income tax.  It didn't dissuade Amare.     

[Bozo]

While Ray may be the highlight example, I think some of this is related to the Big 3 era, where DA had virtually no money left over to pay anyone.  And every year, there would be 9 or 10 different minimum waged players mixed in with the Big 3 Perk and Rondo.  Its been a continuous rotating door.  And in general getting to pick in the late 20's and 50's does not get you quality players.  You have to be somewhat lucky for a good one to get overlooked by 27 GMs. So you are always letting players go, or trading them off.

[Greenbean]

Wrong.

Mitch Cupcheck would have traded his grandmother to get Dwight Howard.

[Jon]

The two biggest reasons right now that free agents don't want to come here are things we can change:

1) We don't have any cap space.  We could've had some this year, but there were no major free agents to pursue. Who knows what will happen next time we do.

2) The perception the past couple of years was that the C's were on the decline.  No one wanted to come here to rebuild. 

If Danny builds a competitive, young team (which he seems to be doing), particularly around a great distributor like Rondo, I think we can lure big time free agents here.  We will never be NY or LA, but I think we can compete with most other places despite the weather and other preconceived notions about Boston. 

[RAcker]

  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

Well, that card came out quickly.

[LooseCannon]

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

Well, that card came out quickly.

Referring to it as a "card" suggests that you are unfairly dismissing the possibility that it is a legitimate reason.

[Tai]

I do think it's a big deal that we've, at least for the next two years, thwarted the talks that we're going into rebuilding mode. That we are still competing. That did help us get Lee and Terry; no doubt about that; and considering they were two of the bigger free agents this season, I think that's a big deal. Same for Green, although my gut told me he was never leaving.

All things considered, I'm almost glad Ray didn't come back if that's how he felt. Also, people like to toss players under the bus at the first sign they may be "cancerous" to the team, and people were doing it to Ray just last season. I'd be very surprised if these same people suddenly wanted to tell me that Ray leaving was bad for us, and I hope they don't try use that as a means to say that we can't attract free agents.

[SAS]

I'd say the biggest concern with regard to this issue is Rondo in a few years when he becomes a free agent.  Rondo signed with the C's for a very reasonable deal, and we'd like to think he'd re-up with the team on a max deal when the time comes.  But what has he experienced since the signing?  The team traded his buddy Perk while the team was playing well, and he spent the 2011 off-season with his name being floated in trade rumors.  Again, he's a big boy, and the rumors and such come with the territory.  And Doc certainly went out of his way to show Rondo some love this offseason in the wake of the Allen departure. 

Still, if I'm Rondo, I can't help but think that these guys are showing me love now, but this past off-season they were desperate to get rid of me for a year or two of Chris Paul, so I'm not doing them any favors when my next contract comes up.  So Danny maintains his wandering eye for trades and free agents, but loses some good will in the next negotiation with the most important player on the team.  I'm saying that maintaining that good will has more value than I think Danny gives it credit for.

[CelticG1]

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

Well, that card came out quickly.

Referring to it as a "card" suggests that you are unfairly dismissing the possibility that it is a legitimate reason.

I don't see how someone could see it as a legitimate reason. I've never heard anyone giving it as a reason, I haven't heard any ex players say it as a reason besides bill Russell 87 years ago.

I bet half the Celtics team themselves don't even know about this story that took place in NH anyway. Even Carl Crawford himself said that he doesn't see that behavior in Boston.

I would just like to see some argument about this besides bill Russell 87 years ago, a guy yelling a racial slur stupid twitter comments.

Where are people getting this idea from and why year after year do we seem to have pretty much the most black players on our teamI anyway?