Summer Boredcast - You be the GM!

Continuing the Boredcast series.

If you were the GM and management told you to tank the season but do whatever you can to win the following year, what would you do between now and the trade deadline?

Kevin O'Connor - CelticsBlog

It's as simple as holding Rajon Rondo out until next February. I'd also trade Jeff Green and Brandon Bass, while holding onto the players acquired from the New Jersey Nets. If Green was traded for an expiring contract, with him and Humphries coming off the books, the Celtics could become major players in free agency in 2014. Not to mention the fact they'd have a top-five draft pick.

Bill Sy - CelticsBlog

Honestly, I don't think you can tell a team to tank. If that message was ever passed down from management to Danny and Brad Stevens and then to the players, it clearly hasn't sunk in. Every guy to a man has said that they have no plans of packing it in this year.

However, if Ainge (and ownership) are hellbent on being as bad as possible to insure a lottery ticket for next year's draft, there are a couple of avenues to take before the trade deadline. 1) Sit Rondo. I don't think they'll go all "Derrick Rose" on him and make him rehab for an entire season, but I can see management being extra careful with his recovery. 2) Showcase Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries. In favor of playing vets over rookies, this might actually lead to more wins at first, but a handful of W's won't matter if you're thinking long term. Danny needs to generate value for these contract anchors so that the USS Rebuild can leave port. 3) Have Sacramento, Portland, and Minnesota on speed dial. I'm calling this Unhappiness Watch 2014. If there's a Big Three making move for us in the next couple of months, it could involve DeMarcus Cousins, LaMarcus Aldridge, or KevMarcus Love. All have voiced some displeasure with their current team, all would make perfect fits in Boston's front court, and all belong to teams going nowhere and possibly looking to rebuild as well.

Josh Zavadil - CelticsBlog

I would sit Rajon Rondo out until at least December. And then I would sit Jordan Crawford forever, because that's always a good thing.

After that, I would try desperately to find a place for Gerald Wallace on a team other than Boston.

From there, I'd work on trading some picks, hope the Celtics get a lottery pick who lives up to the unreasonably large performance expectations we as humans put on the top athletes coming out of college and pray to God Brad Stevens learns enough in his first year to take Boston to the playoffs in his second year.

FLCeltsFan - CelticsBlog

Since tanking isn't in my DNA I'd try to develop the young players and try to win every game because it isn't fair to players or fans to give less than your best effort on the court.

Tim MacLean - Celtics Spot / CLNS Radio

As the Boston Celtics general manager my first goal would be to go straight to the phones in an effort to gauge interest in Gerald Wallace around the league. I can't imagine that many teams would be kicking down my door to discuss a possible deal for Wallace but with an impressive pool of soon-to-be free agents in 2014, I need to rid myself of the $10 million per year I owe Crash. However, should I fail to put a deal together I would have no other choice but to exercise my stretch exception. This would allow me to waive Wallace while paying his salary in smaller increments over a larger amount of years. So instead of $10 million per year over the next three years, I could pay him around $6 million over the next five. After that, I don't think I would do too much else to be perfectly honest. If anything I would look to move either Brandon Bass or Courtney Lee for draft picks. Ultimately, ridding myself of the bad contracts of the three players mentioned above, in addition to Kris Humphries' $12 million coming off my books at the end of the season would make me a player in free agency. A stacked 2014 draft class and an impressive free agent pool would help me turn the Celtics around from one season to the next.

Mike Dyer - Celtics Life

Extremely difficult question. It's really hard to imagine the Celtics simultaneously making themselves worse in 2013-14 while improving greatly for the 2014-15 season before the trade deadline by acquiring any already proven NBA talent. If they decided to cash in picks/young talent for a proven star this season it would hurt the tanking effort. So to me, this is all about creating cap flexibility and acquiring more ping pong balls. With that in mind the first thing I do is put Rondo on the slowest ACL rehab imaginable. It's not possible to expect him to sit out all season, but using conservative measures it's completely realistic to not clear him until right around New Years.

Next, I ship anyone not named Rondo, Green, Sullinger or Olynyk for any combination of picks and/or expiring deals. Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee and Kris Humphries are all overpaid - but each of them are semi-valuable NBA players that could contribute as role players on good teams. The Celtics would be stuck with Gerald Wallace, but if Rondo plays only half a season with Bradley, Green, Sullinger and Olynyk (plus a depleted bench with the trades), the Celtics suddenly lower themselves from "pretty bad" to "really bad", increasing their chances at ping pong balls this summer. If they clear enough space they could enter this summer with their young core still intact, two first rounders in the loaded 2014 draft (including one high lottery pick), enough cap space to bring in additional talent and their $10.3 million trade exception. Pretty easy to imagine Ainge spinning all of that into a pseudo-contender in 2014-15.

Mark Vandeusen - Celtics Life

I trade everyone on the roster besides the "core 5" (Rondo, Bradley, Green, Sullinger, and Olynyk) for contracts that expire at the end of the season. I'd probably have to have Gerald Wallace murdered, assuming that does get his salary off the books. Heading into 2014 I'd have just 5 players and roughly a $30 million payroll. After my lottery prayers fail with the 4th pick in the draft, I offer max contracts to DeMarcus Cousins and Greg Monroe, then try to persuade Dirk to come to Boston for the veteran minimum. I fill out the roster with rookie free agents, and hope Brad Stevens can get that group deep into the playoffs.

HeisenCelts - Truth On Causeway

First, don't play Rondo at all, ensure a Top 3 pick. Second, give Sully some games to rest. Third, start Humphries and Wallace and pray 5 times a day they will do somehting even remotely good. Fourth, flip those two for anything at the trade deadline. Fifth, just tell Jordan Crawford to shoot everything. Last, use all available resources (except RR, Green and Sully) to bring Demarcus Cousins to town.

GeeZeeCelts - Truth on Causeway

That is a very tall order. As a GM, I would ask for the coaches to rest Rondo and develop the young guys we have. My main objective for the trade deadline would be to try and flip Wallace and Humphries for assets - doesn't matter if it's young players with potential or draft picks. If management wants to tank, the goal would be to get the best pick possible in the draft and stack up on assets while waiting. There's not much the Celtics can do until the trade deadline, though, I think. The real deal starts after the season, when Danny can wheel and deal all those assets he gained beforehand. So, all in all, if I'm the GM, I try to stack up on said assets.

Shawn Cassidy - Celtics Title Town

Look for a new job? I wouldn't want to tank, but If I'm told to tank by Wyc. I would sit Rondo as long as humanly possible, until he can't take it anymore. Fab Melo is gone so I can't start him at center.So I would start Jordan Crawford over Bradley to tank games.

If I was the GM I'm trying to shed cap. Rondo is untouchable, and Green is close behind. Bradley is close to untouchable as well, but getting Bass, Lee, and Wallace's contracts off the book is the goal. Wallace will be tough. Moving Humphies 12 million isn't a must with this being his last year of his deal. Moving Bogans isn't a must either with the possibility of shedding his 5 million next summer also.

It doesn't hurt to get picks for the upcoming draft either. I would do whatever I could within reason.

Jeff's Take:

First I'd tell ownership not to use the "T" word. At least not within earshot of anyone who could possibly, in any way shape or form be a leak or even for ear to the players. It isn't tanking if you don't call it that. Rebuilding is a much more refined term. It is the pinky up while sipping tea version of tanking. So just call it rebuilding and move on.

Now that we've got our terminology down, we can get to work. Well, all except you Rondo. You work on rehab, connect four, and roller skating. Actually, scratch that last one unless it is doctor prescribed for your recovery. Regardless, there's no rush and we want you sufficiently healed before you step back on the court. Oh, and if you do come back fully, completely healthy, with the winning attitude and leadership skills that I know that you have in you (at least I'm hoping but I'm not telling him that), then we'll be happy to discuss a max, long term extension with you before season's end.

I won't dictate to Stevens who he can play and who he can't and I won't tell him to lose games, ever. However, I will see how the rotations work out and watch closely to see which veterans play well and which ones do not. The ones that play well will drive their trade market up. The ones that do not won't matter much either way.

If possible, I'd like to find some kind of asset or two for Brandon Bass. But if nothing materializes, I'm happy to wait.

The trade deadline will be an interesting time. Someone big might become available that would be worth pulling the trigger on, so I'll be keeping my ears open. If not, then it is all about flexibility and assets. If I can get future picks for any of the veterans, they are gone as long as I'm not taking back long term contracts.

Next summer is when I'd expect to make my biggest splash, lottery winner or not. With tradable assets and a decent amount of cap flexibility as well as a star point guard healthy and set up for the long term, I'd like my chances of competing in the not-too-distant future.

So what would you do?

More from CelticsBlog:

• Brad Stevens discusses his coaching philosophy, Rondo, and other topics in a one-on-one interview
• Summer Boredcast - Least favorite Celtics player
• Danny Ainge Interviewed by Bill Simmons: Talks Rondo, KG, Pierce, Doc
• 2013 NBA Blog Previews - Sign Up Form
• Summer Boredcast: Favorite non-star Celtics player