There's a name out there that keeps floating around in rumors that sounds crazy, but upon further reflection might just have a chance of happening. The name is Stephon Marbury (or "Starbury" if you prefer).
I know, I know; that's nuts. Who would want a looney bin malcontent with and overinflated ego and a fresh tattoo on his head? We're talking Mike Tyson in discount hightops here, right? (Well, not quite, but you get the idea.)
Danny's not that daring, is he? Well, he did take a chance on Ricky Davis when nobody wanted him. He picked up Gary Payton well into his "old and ornery" phase. He just drafted JR Giddens, despite character questions. He worked out Darius Miles. He doesn't mind taking a chance on talented headcases at a discounted price.
Could it work? I haven't got a clue. But there's a couple of reasons to believe that maybe it could.
First of all he's desperate to find a new beginning somewhere. Maybe desperate enough to accept a backup role. On the second unit, would you rather have Sam Cassell, Ty Lue, or Marbury? There's no comparison talent-wise. He'll also still be collecting that buyout from the Knicks, so he'd likely accept a league minimum salary. So there's nothing to lose in cutting him lose if need be.
For another thing, he's got history with Kevin Garnett. They played very well together in Minnesota. Maybe they would again. And if there's one team in the world he could go to and understand his place on the team, it would be Boston. Not only is Garnett the emotional sparkplug, but Pierce is the heart and soul and Ray is the respected statesman. Rondo is an up and coming player in the league, maybe a star soon. Oh yeah, and they are all NBA Champions. For once in his life, "Starbury" might be content to find a role where he's not in the spotlight. After years of being burned by that same spotlight, he might just welcome the opportunity to just be Stephon.
Of course, there's the risk of downside. Even with a low-risk, minimum contract, he could do damage with the wrong kind of attidue. If Danny fails to bring back Posey and inserts an unreformed Starbury into the team dynamic, there is the danger that no amount of Umbuntu could save them from imploding like the Miami Heat did after their title.
There's a lot of evidence to suggest that Marbury cannot and should not be trusted. Every year he claimed that things were going to be different and the Knicks were going to be winners and every year he failed to deliver.
But he still has that undeniable talent. As long as he has that, someone will take a chance on him. The question is, can the Celtics team unity and leadership take on a talented troublemaker looking for redemption (not unlike the Pats with Dillon and Moss)? Or is that troublemaker not worth risking that team unity and leadership. An interesting question that we'll have to watch play out once Marbury gets bought out.