Greg Dickerson : People close to PP say he played his last game in Green

[Fafnir]

I'll believe Pierce has played his last game here when Danny trades him. Until then, Pierce and KG are Celtics.

BTW, does anyone know when the last time one of Dickerson's tweets predicting the future actually came true?

I think Pierce is resigned to being traded. Heck if KG retires he might "quietly" push for a trade.

Probably a pessimism from a long rough season, plus he saw what Ainge did with Ray.

[hpantazo]

Say the celtics try to trade pierce
Will they try to do the rumored pp for jsmith?

Why would the hawks trade for Pierce?

[Lucky17]

Doesn't surprise me... if KG retires like we expect him to, this team is going to have an extremely tough time even making the playoffs.  They were dreadful defensively anytime KG sat.  The difference was absurd. 

Also, Rajon Rondo is 6-9 months away from even running... let alone being ready to play basketball.  Who knows when and if he'll be back next season.

Definitely makes the most sense to go full-blown tank mode.  We aren't going to be contenders any time soon... 2014 draft is looking epic.  That's our best and only hope of landing a franchise player (Rondo isn't the type of talent you build a contender around and he'll be 28-29 years old by the time he comes back)... No sense in keeping Pierce if we're going to be in the lotto for the foreseeable future. 

Doubtful we can get anything of value for him.  I'm assuming we'll just waive him at this point and let him join whatever contender he wants to play for.  He'll be 36 years old next season.

Rondo could've played in the first-round. He looked healthy to me. He even took jump shots during pre-game practices during a regular season game. They decided to not activate him and ruled him out for season. I expect him to start in October/November.

Dude there was just a report last week that said he's 6-9 months away from even jogging.  Don't know what you're talking about.

Really?  Where?  That would be significant (and bad) news if that were the case.

Yeah, it's a gross exaggeration of Rondo's own words:

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/227417/Rondo-On-Schedule-In-Early-Stages-Of-ACL-Recovery

"Every ACL surgery they say you can start running in about four to six months (after surgery)," he said. "I think that's when I'll start running. That's in the textbook of ACL rehab. I don't know how long training camp is far from my surgery. I get in between six to 12 months."

Surgery was in mid-February, about 2.5 months ago. So he's on track to start running in 6 weeks to 4 months from today.

Not "6-9 months."

[Fafnir]

Say the celtics try to trade pierce
Will they try to do the rumored pp for jsmith?

Why would the hawks trade for Pierce?

sign and trade with Pierce being the salary piece that can be waived.

It'd take other assets though as just Pierce's non-waivable salary would take their cap space and cash, I'm not sure it'd be worth it to the Hawks.

[hpantazo]

Say the celtics try to trade pierce
Will they try to do the rumored pp for jsmith?

Why would the hawks trade for Pierce?

sign and trade with Pierce being the salary piece that can be waived.

It'd take other assets though as just Pierce's non-waivable salary would take their cap space and cash, I'm not sure it'd be worth it to the Hawks.

Yea, it depends very much on what the other piece is. I wouldn't trade Sullinger, or Green, or Bradley with Pierce for Smith. Maybe Melo or Bass, picks, and Pierce.

[KGs Knee]

Doesn't surprise me... if KG retires like we expect him to, this team is going to have an extremely tough time even making the playoffs. 

My take on the situation is that KG wants to keep playing, but will only do so for Boston and with Paul Pierce.  My fear is that Danny is going to force KG out the door, by trading/waiving Pierce.

Danny is already on my bad side, such a move will forever cement him in that category.  Hopefully Doc can talk Danny into pursuing the "help" KG needs to make this roster workable next year.

[anthony83]

I think PP deserves more respect, I think he will play next year, if not in Boston or another team. He can still play at an excellent level in this league, has played hurt, I think people are being unfair with a legend like Pierce, he is an icon in Boston and he should retire a Celtic, hopefully next year he will return and will make an excellent season, if not in Celtics on another team.
Pierce should be tired of so many rumors year after year, this is what happened with Ray, deadlines ...., this is a business but legends with legends.

 #34

[nickagneta]

Doesn't surprise me... if KG retires like we expect him to, this team is going to have an extremely tough time even making the playoffs. 

My take on the situation is that KG wants to keep playing, but will only do so for Boston and with Paul Pierce.  My fear is that Danny is going to force KG out the door, by trading/waiving Pierce.

I see things very similar. But will Danny be allowed to trade Pierce by ownership, especially if ownership knows their best player, KG, could leave, or worse, cause problems for the team, if Pierce is moved.

Let's remember some stuff. When KG no longer wanted to be in Minny, he was a pro on the court but he wasn't being exactly easy to deal with in regards to where to send him and whether he would go to those places or not.

KG is very rich. He doesn't need the money and if he wants to play, he can make things very difficult on Danny to trade him, where to trade him and limit Danny on what he can get back.

I get the feeling ownership might want one more playoff run and to keep KG and maybe the only way to keep KG is to keep Pierce.

I also just get the feeling neither Pierce nor KG want to retire.

[celts10]

Well, if Paul is gone, I expect KG to retire or be traded this summer.

Even if PP gets traded, do you think KG would still come back to play with Rondo?

[Tgro]

If I had to pick the lesser of 2 evils, I would rather have KG back than Pierce but I would almost cry to see Pierce go and play for another team. It just feels wrong on every level but at the same time, I think Pierce is kinda "acting" like he is gone. When he said he would be willing to come back for a 1 day contract and retire a Celtic, that to me sounds like you've made up your mind that you are not opposed to playing elsewhere.

Naturally, I want to keep both KG AND Pierce. And KG is appearing to make it seem like Pierce coming back is BIG with him. In some ways it almost feels like posturing by the Big 2 in the wake of how things went down with Ray last year. It almost seems like Pierce needs to see that he is wanted to a degree that was much better than Ray was shown last year or he wants out, just like Ray did.

Unfortunately, I think Pierce needs to either accept a lot more coming off the bench time or he needs to come back in exceptional condition. I don't know why, but it always looks like Pierce is just "slightly" pudgy and not in as great shape as he *could* be in. He plays good/great one game and then the next his shots look flat as a pancake and he can't make jack and he's a step slow just like what happened in Game 6. This seems to be happening more and more often and I think age has caught him and he just isn't conditioned as well as he could be or should be to give it 100% night after night like someone of a similar age like Kobe does before he got hurt.

I almost feel like this offseason is a game of chicken. KG goes if Pierce goes. Pierce is ready to walk on the Celtics, may need to be wanted and both players probably want a better supporting cast if they stay. If I could keep 1 and let the other walk, I'd keep KG and let Pierce go. But it feels like an all or nothing situation brewing. I'm hoping KG is enough for Pierce to stay knowing Rondo will be back along with hopefully a better lineup to compete. But I'm not expecting Pierce to be any better than he was this year and unless he takes fewer minutes and comes off the bench a lot more, I'm not so sure we should fight real hard to keep him and that alone makes me really sad because I love Pierce, I just don't think he can bring it night after night anymore. And Pierce not coming back could certainly cause KG not to come back.

Is this a for real scenario or a game of chicken waiting to see if someone calls their bluff or caves?

I'm not sure I want to find out. 

[Celtics4ever]

I felt bad for PP in the last game as he didn't get the applause KG did because of the nature of how he was taken out of the game.   I don't know if people thought he was coming back in or what but his curtain call was disappointing for one who had given this team so much.

[KGs Knee]

I felt bad for PP in the last game as he didn't get the applause KG did because of the nature of how he was taken out of the game.   I don't know if people thought he was coming back in or what but his curtain call was disappointing for one who had given this team so much.

Meh, Pierce will get a plenty raucous enough ovation at his jersey retirement ceremony.  He knows the fans love him.

[pearljammer10]

Doesn't surprise me... if KG retires like we expect him to, this team is going to have an extremely tough time even making the playoffs.  They were dreadful defensively anytime KG sat.  The difference was absurd. 

Also, Rajon Rondo is 6-9 months away from even running... let alone being ready to play basketball.  Who knows when and if he'll be back next season.

Definitely makes the most sense to go full-blown tank mode.  We aren't going to be contenders any time soon... 2014 draft is looking epic.  That's our best and only hope of landing a franchise player (Rondo isn't the type of talent you build a contender around and he'll be 28-29 years old by the time he comes back)... No sense in keeping Pierce if we're going to be in the lotto for the foreseeable future. 

Doubtful we can get anything of value for him.  I'm assuming we'll just waive him at this point and let him join whatever contender he wants to play for.  He'll be 36 years old next season.

Rondo could've played in the first-round. He looked healthy to me. He even took jump shots during pre-game practices during a regular season game. They decided to not activate him and ruled him out for season. I expect him to start in October/November.

Dude there was just a report last week that said he's 6-9 months away from even jogging.  Don't know what you're talking about.

This arguement, is still, not accurate. The report said Rondo was 4 -6 months away from jogging at the time the surgery occurs.

That being said, to actually think he could have played in the first round is just absolutely ridiculous.

[gpap]

I'll always love Paul Pierce, but the time has come for him to go.

He just doesn't have it anymore. If he played better in the playoffs, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation.

As for KG, I wouldn't be so convinced that he'll retire or ask for a trade if Pierce isn't here next year.

He's under contract for 12 million. Not sure he gives up on that money just because Pierce won't be here.

[KGs Knee]

It almost seems like Pierce needs to see that he is wanted to a degree that was much better than Ray was shown last year or he wants out, just like Ray did.

I almost feel like this offseason is a game of chicken. KG goes if Pierce goes. Pierce is ready to walk on the Celtics, may need to be wanted and both players probably want a better supporting cast if they stay. If I could keep 1 and let the other walk, I'd keep KG and let Pierce go. But it feels like an all or nothing situation brewing. I'm hoping KG is enough for Pierce to stay knowing Rondo will be back along with hopefully a better lineup to compete.

Apologies for paraphrasing your post, but, I just wanted to specifically address these particular points.

I think your reading the situation a little bit wrongly.  I don't think Pierce at all wants to leave.  I also don't think he needs to be wanted like Ray was.  I see it more as Pierce just accepting there is a real possibility Ainge moves him this off-season, and is ok with it.  The only possible way I could see Pierce asking for a trade is if KG retires on his own.

My take is that both want to be back with Boston next season, but the decision isn't up to them.  KG doesn't have to worry about being traded 1st, he can decline any such trade if he wants to.  Pierce on the other hand, is the one who has a uncertain situation.  KG's decision is based on what happens with Paul.