If you give up Sully and three 1st rounders for KL and he bolts for another team after one year, you've been taken to the cleaners and ownership would be furious, to say nothing of the fans' reactions. You'd still have 6 firsts over 4 years, but no Sully either. With Olynyk, Green and RR, you wouldn't have much of a base to build around, and why then would Rondo reup with the Celts? He might, but if he didn't want to continue to play for a big loser, he'd be gone with no compensation. No way DA, or ownership, will assume such risks.
1. If Ainge gets Love, it is almost certain more moves will come. Even if he just gets Asik, Boston's line up next season is...
Rondo/Pressey
Bradley/Bayless
Green/Wallace
Love/Olynyk
Asik/Faverani
... with Bass, another perimeter player and probably Iverson filling out the team.
That's clearly a playoff team, especially in the East, and we'd still have multiple 1sts in at least two future drafts, including potential lottery picks from Brooklyn. Given that we could offer Love more money and with that present and future, there wouldn't be more than 2 or 3 teams in the league that could come close to luring Love away.
And even if Love and then Rondo leave, Boston is left with cap space and lottery picks to tank and sign free agents.
2. 1st round picks are what Boston has to offer. As of right now, we've got better picks or more picks than any one else. We could give up 3 picks for Love and still be able to offer 2 or mor picks for Melo or another superstar. Assets are useless until you do something with them.
3. A team with Sully and 3 first round picks might be better than one with Love, except they won't be good enough fast enough to work with Rondo. And if Rondo leaves because Boston sucks, we could have 30 first rounders and not come up with two players as good as Rondo and Love.
There are reasons not to get Love, but the difference between 2 and 3 draft picks cannot be a deal breaker.
Mike