Well the oldest three members of the big four age combined is 105. With the team out of championship contention this year and looking more and more like it’s time to rebuild, the team should blow up the big four and look towards future drafts and young players.
Allen and Garnett both have contracts that expire at the end of this season while Peirce and Rondo have contracts that last for two and three more years after this season respectively. The team’s original plan was to start to rebuild around Rondo and the veteran Peirce (34 years old) and see what happens.
Well if the Celtics do that they will go nowhere. Now yes that team will be in the playoffs as a seven or eight seed, maybe a sixth seed on a bad year but if you’re not in contention for the NBA title you should be in the lottery trying to add young superstar potential prospects.
So the Celtics should not just wait for the season to be over and start to rebuild from the middle of the first round of the draft and in free agency but instead blow up the team like the Wizards did during the 2009-2010 season and the Thunder (then Seattle Super Sonics) did after the 2006-2007 season. Both the Wizards and Thunder have started or have turned into a NBA Championship contender.
The Wizards removed all their “big three” players (even though Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison were never superstar players but more like very good role players) and hit gold in the 2010 NBA lottery and drafted John Wall and have started to add young players around Wall.
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| 2010 Number One Overall Pick John Wall is the Corner Stone to the Wizards Rebuilding Process. |
The Super Sonics traded, guess who? Ray Allen to the Celtics for young players, expiring contracts and the fifth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft; which turned out to be Jeff Green. Not only did the Super Sonics trade Allen for a young player but the expiring contracts that will lead to cap relief, which is key.
So now it’s time for the Celtics to do the same thing, below I’ve given trades on how to get the best value for each member of the big four. The players’ contract details are included.
UFA: Unrestricted Free Agent
RFA: Restricted Free Agent
First I’ll start with Rondo and Peirce
In a three team deal with the Lakers and Timberwolves:
Celtics get Michael Beasley (RFA) Wes Johnson (1year plus two team options) Luke Ridnour (3years) Anthony Randolph (RFA) from the Timberwolves, two first round picks from Lakers (theirs and Mavericks) and a first round pick from the Timberwolves (originally from the Jazz).
Lakers get Paul Pierce (3years), Rajon Rondo (4years), and Brandon Bass (player option) from Celtics.
Timberwolves get Pau Gasol (3 years) and Matt Barnes (UFA) from Lakers.
The Celtics do this trade to remove Rondo who has been reportedly a headache to coach but Kobe Bryant would allow that to happen and he will keep Rondo in check. They remove Pierce’s three years left on his contract creating more cap room, the Celtics also add two players with expiring contacts plus the young talented Wes Johnson who needs a change of scenery and the team can decide to keep Beasley and Randolph as both of them are still young players. Ridnour gives them a good solid point guard to replace Rondo. The three first round picks are the real value in this trade.
The Lakers do this trade to get what they really need, more offensive firepower. Rondo gives them a huge upgrade at point guard; Rondo is a defensive and passing play maker which helps the Celtics a lot. Pierce gives them an upgrade at the small forward spot and another perimeter scoring option besides Kobe. Bass gives the Lakers a replacement at power forward.
The Timberwolves do this trade because they have been trying to pull Gasol away from the Lakers for months. The Lakers think adding Gasol to their roster will make Ricky Rubio even better. To get Gasol is worth the young talent and the draft pick.
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| Gasol and Rubio Both Play for the Spanish National Team. |
Next it’s time to get rid of Ray Allen
In a four team deal with the Bucks, Bulls and Timberwolves:
The Celtics get Beno Udrih (player option) from Bucks and Wayne Ellington (2 years) from Timberwolves and the Bulls first round pick.
The Bucks get Ronnie Brewer (2 years) from Bulls, Anthony Tolliver (UFA) and Malcolm Lee (1 year plus 2 team options) from Timberwolves.
The Bulls get Ray Allen (UFA) from Celtics.
The Timberwolves get Rip Hamilton (2 years plus team option) from Bulls.
The Celtics are going to let Allen walk in free agency so this way they get Wayne Ellington (a young prospect who can shoot) and Udrih who will either decline his player option this year or will be a trade chip next year because of his expiring contract. Plus to get yet another first round pick is another chip towards the future.
The Bucks head coach Scott Skiles and Stephen Jackson can’t get along so he is likely to be traded or released at some point soon. So Brewer can bring a defensive presence to the Bucks, Tolliver can bring some outside shooting for a big man and Lee is a rookie that has some talent.
The Bulls get Ray Allen, which spreads the floor for Derrick Rose and gives the Bulls a number two scoring at the end of games.
The Timberwolves are going to need a new starting shooting guard after trading Wes Johnson away in the last trade so to add the veteran Hamilton gives the Timberwolves an outside scoring option and some veteran leadership.
In a three team deal with the Blazers and Cavaliers:
The Celtics get Marcus Camby (UFA), Raymond Felton (UFA) and a future first round pick from Blazers and Omri Casspi (2 years) from the Cavaliers.
The Blazers get Kevin Garnett (UFA) from Celtics and Ramon Sessions (player option) from Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers get Gerald Wallace (player option) from Blazers.
The Celtics are going to let Garnett walk like Allen so to get back a future first round pick from the Blazers is good, plus IF Felton turns his act around he could get a long term deal in Boston (which mean Ridnour will be traded).
The Blazers get a defensive post player who can rebound and spread the court with his jump shot, the Blazers are trying to get rid of Felton and get another point guard, insert Sessions.
The Cavaliers have talent at the power forward and point guard spot but have zero talent at the shooting guard and small forward. Wallace is expendable since Nicolas Batum is ready to take over a starting role and replace Wallace. Wallace gives the Cavaliers some perimeter defensive and some veteran leadership.
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| Batum, left, Looks Ready to Replace Wallace, right, as the Blazers Starting Small Foward. |
The Celtics should take their roster and go
KA-BOOM!!!
The reality is that if you’re not in contention to win it all, you should be fighting for the lottery and the number one overall pick, because in the middle is just not worth it.
In a three team deal with the Lakers and Magic:
The Celtics get Ryan Anderson (RFA) and Daniel Orton (UFA) from Magic.
The Lakers get Kevin Garnett (UFA) from Celtics and Dwight Howard (pending he signs a contract extension) and Jameer Nelson (player option) from Magic.
The Magic get Andrew Bynum (team option) and Pau Gasol (3 years) and two first round picks in 2012 (theirs and Lakers) and a 2014 and 2016 first round picks from Lakers.
The Celtics basically give up Garnett for the up and coming Anderson, pretty simple deal to me.
The Lakers get Garnett and Howard; both are upgrades defensively over Gasol and Bynum. Nelson is an upgrade at point guard and fits in the Lakers trade exception.
The Magic get a young big man (Bynum) and the veteran Gasol, who they could turn around and trade to the Timberwolves for Michael Beasley (RFA) Wes Johnson (1year plus two team options) Luke Ridnour (3years) Anthony Randolph (RFA) and another 2012 first round pick. If they send Gasol on his merry way the Magic can get Bynum, three-four young players and a total of five first round picks for Howard. Sounds like they won this trade big time!!!
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| Will Dwight Howard End Up in LA? We Will See. |
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