Would you rather...

[myselfonline]

The problem I have with trading for an established superstar is that due to the age of the superstar, the window for winning a championship is a lot smaller.
Let's look at the 2007 draft for example. If the Celtics had the top 2 pick, they could have picked Durant, or if they had the top 3 pick, they could have picked Al Horford (Even though knowing Ainge, he still would have picked Green at 3). If that happened the window for winning would have been a lot longer than the 7 years that the KG trade opened up. 

[TheSundanceKid]

The problem I have with trading for an established superstar is that due to the age of the superstar, the window for winning a championship is a lot smaller.
Let's look at the 2007 draft for example. If the Celtics had the top 2 pick, they could have picked Durant, or if they had the top 3 pick, they could have picked Al Horford (Even though knowing Ainge, he still would have picked Green at 3). If that happened the window for winning would have been a lot longer than the 7 years that the KG trade opened up.

Maybe but we would have been much further from winning. It's no easy feat to get to the finals let alone win. If we strike gold and draft Simmons we don't instantly turn into title contenders. If we sign Durant in FA or trade for Cousins/Butler I think we do.

[Granath]

I'm OK with either option so long as the Cs wind up with the best players.

I don't think we can shoehorn this into a 2007 comparison or really any other. That team was led by an aging Paul Pierce and thus by the time a rookie was really ready to win it all (even Jordan took a number of years to learn how to really win in the NBA), Pierce would have been too far on the downside of his career to be that 1 or 1A star alongside said rookie. In '07 Pierce was 30 years old.

This team and this situation are entirely different.
1. There's no superstar on this team. IT barely made the All-Star team.
2. This team has far more viable trade chips than the 2006 team, especially when considering the salaries of the core players.
3. The core of this team is much younger. IT is 26. Bradley is 25. Crowder is 25. Smart is 21. Turner is the old man at 27. That's the top 5 guys in minutes played this year. That's not mentioning Olynyk (24), Sullinger (23) or the 3 rookies from last year.
4. Unlike prior years this team has cap space.

So what does this mean? In a nutshell, the Cs have both flexibility in talent and time. This team can pursue a win now strategy by signing FAs, trading for a superstar (or even more than one) and open a 6 to 7 year window for contention. Or they can sit back, draft the BPA, develop talent and continue to make deals to pursue a long-term strategy.

With all that said, I do think Ainge will commit to a strategy this offseason if he can. The timing is ripe to go one way or another. He isn't forced to choose a path but he is in the strongest position now to select one path or another. Waiting may keep both options open but then we he does strike it won't be from a position as powerful as the one he has today. At the same time, the options have to be open for him to choose - trading is a two way game and if there aren't other good options available I don't think he'll try to force a bad situation. Even if the worst case scenario develops - there are no good trading partners and the Cs drop to 5th in the lottery - I could easily see Danny selecting someone like Hield, pursuing some complimentary talent in FA and see how things shake out next year. After all, those Brooklyn picks are like the gifts that keep on giving.

[CoachBo]

Ainge is a far more adept trader than drafter.

Easy question to answer.

[footey]

I want to trade for an established star who is no older than 28/29.  I want to win for a long time, not just a 2-3 year window.

[Csfan1984]

If you are sure the player will be top 10 player in a few years than rather draft a guy. He would be our new Pierce or Bird. Something special about developing a player.

[wdleehi]

I will take the established star (but not just a good player) over the potential star.



This team wants to win now.   This team wants to attract other top players.


The established star can do that.



Though this team is in position to try to do both.   Bring in a star through FA, a top level player through FA and a future potential.   


Or through trades.  They still have two other Net pick to play with.