Moving On - An Epic Summer Awaits

We seem to have three possibilities this summer:

1. Get the 1 or 2 pick. If we do this, I would favor making a huge push for a big named veteran [with Kidd, Gasol, Garnett, and Bibby on the market potentially], even if this includes Jefferson in the mix. I am a huge Jefferson fan, but an Oden or Durant can fill the “superstar to carry us in five years” role that this team needs for future stability. A veteran star, especially a Garnett or a point guard, could help solidifiy this team. I don’t know if the result would be a team that can win the East, but we would, at the very least, be a winning team that could take our division and probably better than if we simply kept Jefferson.

2. If we get the 3-5 or whatever pick. I’d like to see that traded for a veteran [see above]. Jefferson, instead of being a prime bit of trade bait, is now our future anchor.

3. We get a pick in 1-5, and say screw it, trade Pierce and try to build only for the future. I don’t like it [unless we were to get both the first and second picks and I doubt that’ll happen]. If we were gonna trade Pierce, the time to do it is either in a year or two or a couple years ago when Chris Paul was [theoretically] available.

Thoughts?

That sounds about right, jarobiso. Like you say, it all depends on the draft pick. I know there has been some criticism of the Celtics for placing all their eggs in the Oden/Durant basket, considering the best case scenario is still less than 50/50, but I honestly don’t know what else they can do. As this trade deadline showed, teams are overvaluing their own players (Celtics included) and GMs are gun-shy at making significant deals. It may also be that the NBA restrictions on trades make it excesively difficult to get these things done. Regardless, I don’t see a significant turnaround happening from a blockbuster trade. The proposed Gasol-Jefferson deal is a good example – what good is a deal for a 20-8 guy if you have to trade a 17-10 guy to get him. The Celtics need to hope for Oden or Durant, and, failing that, hope that Danny can come up with a Dwayne Wade-like steal with a pick in the 3-5 range. I just don’t see it happening without more than a little luck w/ a draft pick.

If they land Oden, they’ll look only to get what they can for a combo of the Ratliff/Telfair in the summer, then Tony Allen/Minny’s future 1 by the trade deadline.
If they land Durant, you’ll see Gerald Green moved (same style player). Maybe in combo w/ Wally/Minny’s future 1 to shed the salary and to get back something fairly substanative in return.
I’ve been consistent in my view to trade Pierce. But the feedback from this blog has been we wouldn’t get equal/near equal value in return.
If we draft outside of the top 2, I’d hope we would be much more active and bold in restructuring this team … not to build around Pierce … we have 3 guys making $40m … collectively, a bad investment … worst record cuz’ we have worst talent …. moving Pierce to open cap space and look to get back young talent. Danny tried to rebuild with picks in the lower half of the draft …

Make or break summer for Ainge? Are you serious? I’d like to see the definitions, or an example of, what you consider to be a “great” GM, or better GM, since Danny took over.

What the Celtics should do is simple, really. Wait until we find out what # draft pick the Cs get. If their pick is not in the top 2 (and maybe even if its not the #1), trade the pick and some players for a star veteran such as Ray Allen. If they get the top pick, take Oden.

All and all, things should really work themselves out…so long as Danny plays his cards right.

Oh, and fire Doc should be first priority this offseason.

Assuming we get a top 2 pick, I can totally see DA do something he tried to do a few years ago and should have been doing the last couple of years, find some Euro guys. The majority of them come in with much better fundamental skills than 1 or 2 year college guys, and seem to be much more willing to do the dirty work.

With a top 2 rookie, and a Euro player (most likely a big), then DA should work the phones and put Ratliffs contract, along with a couple of the young guys, to tighten up the team.

Let’s wait and see how the NCAA tournament unfolds before declaring anything less than the number 2 pick automatic trade fodder. Ainge is nothing if not a good judge of talent, and I’d trust him if he becomes sold on a player not named Durant or Oden.

Obviously the number one priority for this summer, and one that could improve our team greatly in the future, is firing Doc Rivers and finding a suitable replacement.

They must find a new coach and it has to be the right coach. That is much more important than anything they could do in the draft or via trade.

If they do not fire Rivers this Summer they will have to fire him before Christmas, which likely means another wasted year under an interim coach.

Stein is 100% right, and so is Paul.

“Assuming we get a top 2 pick, I can totally see DA do something he tried to do a few years ago and should have been doing the last couple of years, find some Euro guys. The majority of them come in with much better fundamental skills than 1 or 2 year college guys, and seem to be much more willing to do the dirty work.”

In the second round draft Marc Gasol (he is playing great great this year)and give another asset to Pau moving to the Celtics.
With Durant in the number 2, we would have Ratliff, Green, Allen,Perkins,Gomes, one-two PG… Maybe enough for the Grizzlies?