Now What

[ianboyextreme]

This one is easy. Pay PP his 5 mil by waiving him. Let KG decide what he wants to do which will most likely be to retire. Let Doc decide what he wants to do. If he wants to go broadcast, then fine. If some other team wants to offer us 2 first rounders for Doc to have him coach there then take it. If he wants to stay and rebuild then that is fine too. Try and find a great deal for Rondo. If not then let him rehab until he is 110% and try and find a trade for him at the trade deadline. Then start to really rebuild.

One of you please explain the rationale of trading Rondo. So we can suck and get Andrew Wiggins right?

Please never present that idea again.

[LooseCannon]

I want Doc to make his return contingent on Pierce not being waived.  Ainge can trade Pierce to try and improve the team or keep him, but simply waiving him and taking the luxury tax savings shouldn't be acceptable.

I'd like to try and sign Elton Brand as a PF/C who I think fits well with the team, but I am not sure what his value is on the open market.

I'm not interested in starting out the season in tank mode, but I can accept shifting to that if the team has a losing record in January.

[gpap]

Well, they can do one of two things

1.) Bring back Pierce/KG/Doc and try to acquire another pick up like Smoove or Millsap

2.)Just because the Clippers deal fell through, contact other teams about unloading KG and Pierce.

Maybe the Lakers take KG for Pau Gasol, who is a few years younger. I do believe KG and Kobe have a good relationship outside the court.

Maybe revisit the rumor of sending Pierce/Bradley to NO for Eric Gordon.

Maybe another contending team out there like Chicago, New York, Golden State, Dallas, Houston, etc would be interested in the contract of Terry or Courtney Lee.

[PhoSita]

1. Make it clear that Doc is not coaching anywhere other than Boston without compensation going to the Celtics (until the contract is up).

2. Begin the search for a new head coach.  Can't afford to waste any more time on this.

3. Shop Pierce heavily (probably already going on).  Waive him before June 30th if nothing materializes for him.

4. Dangle KG in trade discussions, but maintain that he's either coming back to Boston or retiring.  If Doc ends up going to some other team (with compensation), perhaps a trade involving KG can be worked out.

5. Do everything possible to find a way to unload 2 out of the 3 bad mid-level contracts on the team (Terry, Lee, Bass).

6. Head into next season with a clear intention: develop the younger assets on the team while losing enough games to get a nice pick in the draft (top 10).

[Celtics Insider]

This one is easy. Pay PP his 5 mil by waiving him. Let KG decide what he wants to do which will most likely be to retire. Let Doc decide what he wants to do. If he wants to go broadcast, then fine. If some other team wants to offer us 2 first rounders for Doc to have him coach there then take it. If he wants to stay and rebuild then that is fine too. Try and find a great deal for Rondo. If not then let him rehab until he is 110% and try and find a trade for him at the trade deadline. Then start to really rebuild.

One of you please explain the rationale of trading Rondo. So we can suck and get Andrew Wiggins right?

Please never present that idea again.

No, because we can't build a team around him. Not only do we not have the financial resources, but his offense will be limited when PP/KG are gone, and we'll also have to bank on Rondo's ACL.

[SHAQATTACK]

Fire  ungrateful Rivers.  ASAP

run him on fast train out of town .....lazy ring chaser

[Who]

Maybe the Lakers take KG for Pau Gasol, who is a few years younger. I do believe KG and Kobe have a good relationship outside the court.

KG + Bass = Pau Gasol would be a very interesting deal.

[EJPLAYA]

This one is easy. Pay PP his 5 mil by waiving him. Let KG decide what he wants to do which will most likely be to retire. Let Doc decide what he wants to do. If he wants to go broadcast, then fine. If some other team wants to offer us 2 first rounders for Doc to have him coach there then take it. If he wants to stay and rebuild then that is fine too. Try and find a great deal for Rondo. If not then let him rehab until he is 110% and try and find a trade for him at the trade deadline. Then start to really rebuild.

One of you please explain the rationale of trading Rondo. So we can suck and get Andrew Wiggins right?

Please never present that idea again.

I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that was a taboo topic in the CelticsBlog rules...

See if this makes a little more sense. Rondo, while a very good PG, has some huge flaws in his game that make our offense stagnant. He has a tendency to dribble out much of the shot clock which puts us in a bad situation in a half court offense. Our number one problem the last couple of years is that we couldn't score in the half court when it mattered. His poor outside shooting, which allowed teams to dare him to shoot by sagging off on our better players, hurts us. He also is a poor free throw shooter and no longer attacks the paint like he did his first couple of years so that he doesn't end up on the line. The other thing that hurts us is his lack of consistent effort on the defensive end. He forces teammates to rotate when they shouldn't have and often results in easy baskets for the other team. He has the physical ability to stay in front of his man, but chooses to save his energy or gamble trying to poke it out from behind. These things make him a talented player with big holes in his game.

That being said, he has more trade value than any other player we have. Rondo and a bunch of solid players isn't going to get you out of the first round ever. We aren't a destination for elite free agents. The only way that we will get one is to trade for one (KG, Ray) or draft one (PP). Trading Rondo is the only way to achieve either. With him you don't have the pieces to trade for an elite player. With him you are just good enough to keep yourselves out of the lottery. That spells a long long stretch of mediocre basketball. THAT is why we must trade Rondo.

[gpap]

I suppose another idea could be try to land Chris Paul in a sign and trade by dealing Rondo and another player to the Clippers for CP3.

Doubtful that happens, but worth a shot I suppose.

[gpap]

Maybe the Lakers take KG for Pau Gasol, who is a few years younger. I do believe KG and Kobe have a good relationship outside the court.

KG + Bass = Pau Gasol would be a very interesting deal.

Exactly! Actually, I could make the argument that a team with Gasol could be just as competitive if not better, than a team with KG.

People seem to forget that KG is 37 playing on ankles with bone spurs.

Gasol is a little younger and did have surgery this offseason to repair whatever injury he had, meaning he should be ready to go for training camp.

The only sticking point could be whether the Lakers could accept Bass's contract.

As I understand it, they're really looking forward to having a TON of cap space for 2014 if they don't bring back Dwight Howard

[danglertx]

Pierce might be worth more at the trade deadline as an expiring contract than the 10mil we'd save by waiving him. 

[SHAQATTACK]

trade Rondo for Dwight Howard

draft .... Schroder

[Q_FBE]

I still dont see how Doc can possibly come back but it sounds like he still is in favor with the Celtics organization
 Its just the fan base that is gonna have a hard time with it.

Ainge has two options. Hope KG hangs it up, get rid of Pierce and go into rebuild mode like he wants to. Or, he runs it back with our roster as constituted and watch our team flame out in the first or second round of the playoffs again.

I like the second option a lot better. Who knows, with the extended rest due to our bust of last season, we veterans might just be fresher and make a surprise run to the finals in 2014.

[LooseCannon]

Pierce might have enough in the tank that eventually re-signing him to a small deal (more than the minimum) in 2014 to come off the bench might make sense if the Celtics can package various assets (the expiring contracts of Bass and Terry, plus young players or picks) for an All-Star-caliber player to open a new window beginning in 2014-2015.

[LooseCannon]

Maybe the Lakers take KG for Pau Gasol, who is a few years younger. I do believe KG and Kobe have a good relationship outside the court.

KG + Bass = Pau Gasol would be a very interesting deal.

Exactly! Actually, I could make the argument that a team with Gasol could be just as competitive if not better, than a team with KG.

People seem to forget that KG is 37 playing on ankles with bone spurs.

Gasol is a little younger and did have surgery this offseason to repair whatever injury he had, meaning he should be ready to go for training camp.

The only sticking point could be whether the Lakers could accept Bass's contract.

As I understand it, they're really looking forward to having a TON of cap space for 2014 if they don't bring back Dwight Howard

A late first-round pick or two might convince them.