How about the Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon (?), Knicks' Numero Uno, Tim Thomas, and Eric Piatkowski for Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz. This deal has to be entirely based on the free agent market this offseason, or at least in the near future, as that's the kind of cap space a good GM can harness for years. However, you have to officially give up on the season. Call me crazy, and I DO love Paul, but I'd take this deal in a breath. Thomas' expiring deal is $14 million off the books, Raef's salary is another $10 million, Paul's is another $15, and Piatkowski is a meager $3 million. That comes to a grand total of $42 million off the books. And our entire team's salary is $52 million right now! That leaves us with quite a bit of flexibility, and more than a little possibility of improvement through the draft (potential No. 1 pick) and in free agency. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?pa...ailydime-060210
I'm with you on this one...i love PP and would like to see us be a contender with him in the squad but we are 2/3 years away from being a force in this league and by then he will steadily be fading away... That deal would give us a starting PG in Duhon so we can move West into the second unit giving us some scoring options... We our pick and NY's i'm sure we could get Morrison and have sackloads of cash to bring in some quality free agents like a Al Harrington... Its not like we havent tanked this season anyway
no way pierce will be anything close to resembling "steadily fading away" in 2-3 years. Pierce is less than a year older than Kobe. Will Kobe be steadily fading away in 2-3 years? I dont think this trade is really being talked about. this "rumor" has just been conjured up by a couple of sports writers and it doesn't make much sense for either team. I cant imagine Chicago giving up Ben Gordon whos already argueably their best scorer and only stands to improve. And on the other hand I dont think hell ever be the player that Pierce already is so I dont want to see them trade Pierce for him.
I don't know if trading Pierce is the right thing to do, but the C's need to go one way or the other. There's no point being consistently mediocre. Got to either rebuild from the bottom up and take their licks, or go forward with what they've got and see where it'll take them.
As much as every fan hates the idea of getting worse to get better, it usually works except in the case of the constantly rebuilding hawks.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Buckets:</div><div class="quote_post">As much as every fan hates the idea of getting worse to get better, it usually works except in the case of the constantly rebuilding hawks.</div> A bit harsh on the Hawks. It's only now they've got three talented kids (Joshx2 and Marv), and only now they've got a quality scorer in JJ. Give them a PG and they'll be good.
lol ya but they didn't know he'd be THIS good. Marvin aint gonnabe that bad I think in 2 years they will be a good team. I duno bout this 4 the Celts Pierce is an All NBA type guy.
Obviously Pierce's value is high right now... and for them to be able to pick up Gordon and that Knicks 1st rounder would be very nice. If the Bulls replaced Duhon with Deng I'd gladly do it.
Eyes too big... For your stomachs. Deng and Gordon? C'mon now. Chicago basically guts the teams that way. I know that Pierce is good, but Deng is going to be as good some day. Gordon is an atrocious defender, but he can sure score. So the truth of it is that you might be able to trick the Knicks(if they were involved) into doing this, but never the Bulls. Thomas comes off the books for the Bulls either way, they'd take the useless Lafrentz and his massive, unending contract to no benefit. Also, Pierce's skills don't mesh with that team well. They don't work well on the Celts either, but trades are to improve teams, not make them worse. Playing the Paxson, I would demand one of the young guys. Either Jefferson (who is untouchable) West, or Green. Then the trade comes apart, unless picks come into it. I recognize that this really came from Marc Stein, but it might as well be off of Realgm. I suppose that it could happen if somebody was really trying to make a splash, but why not send Wally and Lafrentz (with no pick either side) instead of Pierce? The smartest thing would really be to get Chandler involved, Ben Gordon looks like he's gonna be Vinnie Johnson the whole way through.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting postpoint:</div><div class="quote_post">Deng is going to be as good some day. </div> wrong.
Deng and Gordon<Pierce Gordon is a 6 man who can't play the whole game and defense is very weak and you never know when Deng will be healthy Pierce is a superstar but the only reason Boston does this would be for the Knicks pick.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post"> Got to either rebuild from the bottom up and take their licks, .</div> isnt that exactly what the celtics have been doing since Dann Ainge took over?
That assertion may have been hasty. If Deng gets healthy he'll be as good as Pierce. You have to remember that he's only 21 (the same age as Al). He has had a lot of injuries, but he's already a better defender than Pierce is because he positions well and his arms are so much longer. I grant that he's not as good a driver, or inside, and that may be where my argument fails. His rebounding is as good and so is his mid-range game. The passing seems comparable. The three point shooting comes with time, hard to decide on that. Just a thought. Hard to predict. Also hard to predict how Pierce is going to age. He's played tons of minutes.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting olskoolFunktitude:</div><div class="quote_post">isnt that exactly what the celtics have been doing since Dann Ainge took over?</div> No. If they were truly bottoming out Paul Pierce would be gone, and so would Raef LaFrentz. Boston are middling, not bad enough to rebuild properly (through numerous lottery picks), not good enough to do anything good.
I say the Celtics trade Pierce for role players and some draft picks. They need to rebuild, if they don't they can trade other guys to bring Pierce some help. I don't see Pierce in a Celtic jersey for long.
Look at your math,Thomas is HOW Pierce/Raef would come off. You shed Raef + Pierce,partially. Raef + Pierce converts to whatever you get and of that Thomas + Piatkowski,expire. Thus you shed about $17 mil. Good LUCK getting Chicago to eat Raef's deal, its L O N G and gets fatter every year. Chicago WANTS those expiring's themselves...and the high pick. I doubt they take in a $25 mill package and lose the pick
If Deng gets healthy he'll be as good as Pierce. Actually...no. Deng is not near the natural shooter Pierce is. 25 ppg guys are not just scattered about in abundance. Deng can be a solid 16-18 ppg perhaps
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The question remains ... is the Celtics' lone All-Star soon to be their former one? Will Sunday's final group performance of Destiny's Child also see Pierce's last time representing the Green? However, that deal's validity is still in question, and for now, the Celtics appear intent on focusing on the postseason instead of the ping-pong balls. </div> http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/02-06...06/03sports.htm More ink on this possible deal.
I just don't buy this trade rumor. Pierce is great, but this is too good to be true. If it happens it's a great trade. You can call me an idiot if it does. I just question the validity of the whole thing. Also, Stein floated the idea as a suggestion, not as a real story. Paxson story
