If this team is .500 at the trading deadline, what direction does Danny take?

[BudweiserCeltic]

I know we all assume that the Nets will turn things around, but what if they don't? The pick they owe us this season, is that protected? Because that changes things.

Atlanta has swap rights, so we'll take the worse pick from Atlanta or Nets, so root for both teams to suck for the rest of the year.

[KJR]

Ainge is doing what Cherington did for the Red Sox.

"Trading" Doc, KG, Pierce and Terry was like getting rid of Gonzalez, Crawford, Beckett and Punto.

Cherington used it to reload with solid players and brought in a new manager - Farrell.

Everyone said it was a rebuilding year or a bridge year.  And everyone was wrong.

The Sox didn't tank.  They were trying to improve immediately and in the future.  Those aren't contradictory ideas.  It's a false choice to be bad now to get better later.

I don't think the Celtics will come close to a Championship this year.  The Sox had a core of Ortiz, Pedroiz, Lester and Ellsbury who were already Champions.

But this team now looks like an eight seed on its way to a five or six seed if Rondo comes back and if Sullinger, Olynyk, Bradley and Crawford keep developing.

With Crawford/Pressey the TO's are cut in half.  That right there changes the team.

Bradley has been solid the last two games.  He's essentially starting his second full year and first pre-season.  (He lost 3 pre-seasons and 2 of 3 years to injuries and strike.)  By the end of this year, his offense will be 85% of his defense.  He will be a borderline all-star.  I wouldn't trade him straight up right now for Dwayne Wade (who is on a fairly steep decline).  We'll know what Bradley is by the end of this (his second) full season playing.  IMO no way Ainge trades him.  His terrible play during the losses was all caused by playing the point.  Off the point, he's been great and has a lot of upside.

What will Ainge do?  The same as he's always done.  Improve the team now, improve the team in the future.  There's no conflict.  Tanking for high picks and hoping for a Championship is a mirage.  And it would completely destroy the development of Sullinger, Olynyk, Bradley and Crawford.

I see a lot of parallels between what Cherington did and what Ainge did.

I think the Celtics will be an enjoyable team to watch this year.  Let's see how far they get and then decide late in the year which positions need an upgrade.  We might be one or two pieces away from a contending team.  Impossible to say now.  Better to make a decision with much more information later.

[coco]

I'd say to keep plugging along with what we've got, and if the chance for a  good salary dump comes along, then take it.

[D.o.s.]

I suspect he'll head Northwest.

[sofutomygaha]

People are looking at this all wrong.

If the Celtics are at .500 (which they won't be) it will mean that
-Bass continues to play well and ups his trade value to the point where you can get an expiring and a pick.
-Humphries/Wallace plays well and can be moved for picks to a contender.

You've got it. I agree with you completely. We won't manage to stay .500 without one of more of Wallace, Bass, Lee, Humphries (Crawford?) making a serious contribution. I'd love to have one of the superstar-picks, but picking mid-round and acquiring even more assets through trade doesn't seem like a bad outcome at all.

[Rick Robeys Return]

I'm watching what Danny does with Bass as the bell-weather for our direction. He is the easiest to package, given how well he has played this season, his capacity to play a useful role on a contending team, and the relative length of his contract (expires in 2015). I still think an Omer Asik trade for Bass plus (AB or Lee) is a win/ win...

Also, i am interested to see if Danny can get anything for JCraw, once Rondo comes back...

In any event, both JCraw and Bass are show-casing themselves, and the most obvious chips should DA want to make a move...

[slamtheking]

People are looking at this all wrong.

If the Celtics are at .500 (which they won't be) it will mean that
-Bass continues to play well and ups his trade value to the point where you can get an expiring and a pick.
-Humphries/Wallace plays well and can be moved for picks to a contender.
-Rondo returns back to form
-Team defense continues to be solid and Brad Stevens shows that he belongs in the NBA.
-Stevens would then be the runaway winner for coach of the year.

There is no reason why people should root against this team winning. There is value in having a young team win even if you trade the veterans at the deadline. Who the hell is going to take Wallace or Bass off our hands if the team sucks and they are supposedly big pieces of it.

I think this is the positive view and a good one.

I don't see Danny as a buyer at the deadline under any circumstances.  I would anticipate him moving at least 2 of Bass, Lee, Wallace or Hump in deals for young players and picks to contenders.  If we're at .500, our guys are having great years and have a high trade value which really benefits us. 

[LooseCannon]

Ainge will try to win any trade he makes.  If it is a buyer's market at the deadline, with teams trying to get rid of good players for pennies on the dollar, so that Ainge can get great value in a trade, I see no reason for Ainge not to do so.

Let's put it in these terms.  If Ainge can make a deal so that the team is a good player away from being a legitimate contender, with a load of options because he can trade assets for that player, make moves to clear cap space and sign someone, or get lucky by finding a mid-to-late first-round gem with a boatload of draft picks, why would Ainge not want to put himself in that position?

If someone is willing to give up a first for Bass, Ainge probably takes the pick.  Maybe not if the price is the Celtics paying luxury tax.  I'm guessing that few teams will be willing to give up more than a second for the top veteran role players who will be available at the deadline, unless the other team is willing to take on a complete deadweight contract.

[erisred]

If this team is hovering right around .500 and in line for possibly an 8th seed Danny could go two directions,

1. Trade his way down the standings: This means shopping aggressively Bass, Lee, and any other veterans on the team for picks/expirings.

2. Add help for a playoff run: Package some picks or assets and bring in a player to help this team win now and make a playoff push.

Danny will have some tough decisions to make in Feburary.

Were you a Celtics fan in 2003? Eric Williams, Tony Baite, five game winning streak in early Dec., the team just getting its chemistry going...sell high. Danny said he needed to get another big 3, and he deconstructed a playoff capable team, three times, to get it.

I'm not getting attached to anybody on the roster, not this time!

[TheTruthFot18]

Bass, Lee, and AB and one of our firsts for Aldridge and Crabbe.

Dump Bass and Lee and sweeten it with AB and a top pick. They can package AB or Matthews and the pick for a real center/pf. So for them they essentially can make even at pf and upgrade the backup sg and pf.

Keep Rondo out til the deadline for this and still have a top pick. Rondo, Green, Aldridge, Sully core and whoever we draft and still have young guys to develop off the bench in Pressey, Brooks, KO, and Vitor.

[LarBrd33]

Being .500 at the trade deadline would be disastrous. Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace and Brandon Bass need to be shipped off this roster to the highest bidder because they are helping us win too many games.

I'm probably the biggest pro-tanker here...

But if this team is .500 at the deadline it probably means that #1 - Rondo has been playing and contributing and #2 - Our vets (Bass/Lee/Wallace) have been contributing. #3 - Pigs have sprouted wings.   

At that point, it probably means Bass/Lee/Wallace have done enough to increase their trade value and we might be able to ship them out.  If there's an impact player available, maybe you make a move for it during the deadline.  If we're .500 at the deadline it means hell has frozen over.  Forget tanking.  Anything is posssiblllleee... trade our scraps for superstars. 

But it's unlikely to happen.  We'll be well on our way to landing a Top 8 pick at the deadline. 

[Drucci]

I think the priority for Danny, regardless of our record at the trading deadline, is to unload Wallace's contract. Even if he is a key ingredient to our success at that time, he should trade him (and I'm opposed to tanking).

Obviously he would need to package another player with him or a draft pick to ease the pain of his contract but it has to be done as soon as possible.

Lee and Bass have pretty reasonable contracts and are producing so far, so Danny should be in no hurry to trade them. He can wait for the summer. Plus, they're easier to trade because they still have value as players.

[Celtics4ever]

.500 teams don't win championships so I would break it up and get whatever assets we can.   We ought to know if RR is a keeper at that point post injury.   If he is you keep him if not you ship him out to someone that needs help.  I really see Lee, Humph, Wallace and Bass as these type of trade chips.

I could see us keeping AB (unless he is too hard to resign)and Green.  I don't see guys like Sully or KO getting moved.  I think we will build around Rondo with Green and Rondo being the new core which we will add assets to build around.

[playdream]

i guess Danny would ask stevens to put AB (back)in PG spot and use bass+sully+lee+AB line up every 4th quater under the name of experiment
thus we can get enough losses for Wiggins/Parker

[slamtheking]

I think the priority for Danny, regardless of our record at the trading deadline, is to unload Wallace's contract. Even if he is a key ingredient to our success at that time, he should trade him (and I'm opposed to tanking).

Obviously he would need to package another player with him or a draft pick to ease the pain of his contract but it has to be done as soon as possible.

Lee and Bass have pretty reasonable contracts and are producing so far, so Danny should be in no hurry to trade them. He can wait for the summer. Plus, they're easier to trade because they still have value as players.

I disagree that Wallace's contract is the priority.  He's playing well and with the number of other contracts rolling off the payroll each year, his contract becomes less of an issue.  He should be able to be moved relatively easy as an expiring deal in 2 years. 

The top priority is to move the expendable vets we have that will net us a young prospect, draft pick(s) or both to improve this teams's ability to rebuild over the next 2-3 years.