Jun 16, 2013
The Boston Celtics don’t want to rebuild but they are not a contender and can get value for their ageing stars before they retire. The Celtics might also be in a position to acquire future assets by sending away their coach, something that doesn’t happen a lot in the NBA.
Ray Allen leaving could have been the trigger for a rebuild in Boston but they gave it one more go by adding Jason Terry. That didn’t work and now Danny Ainge wants to find a way to bring in young talent so the franchise can build to another period of contending for titles. On the other coast is a team with free agent Chris Paul and not only do they need to add veteran stars to convince Paul that he should stay but they also need a new coach.
Kevin Garnett has a no-trade clause and Paul Pierce has a partially-guaranteed contract so trading them is complicated. Garnett reportedly only wants one city and that is Los Angeles. The Lakers are not after Garnett so that leaves the Clippers, who need an offensive threat in the paint next to Blake Griffin. DeAndre Jordan can’t be on the floor at the end of close games, a 22.2% free throw percentage in the 2013 playoffs and 38.6% in the regular season is a big reason why, so Garnett’s offense spaces the floor for Griffin and Garnett’s ability to guard centers and power forwards helps down the other end of the court too.
If Garnett goes to the Clippers it could mean a package that also includes Paul Pierce, who is from Los Angeles, and also Coach Doc Rivers, who played for the Clippers a long time ago. Trading a draft pick for a coach doesn’t seem like a winning move but the Miami Heat sent out a first rounder and cash to get Pat Riley and that worked out for them. Pierce could be traded to other teams looking to clear their salary cap, they could send around $17million in salary to the Celtics and then waive Pierce and only pay him $5million, but the Clippers would certainly keep him if the blockbuster trade happened. The Celtics could receive DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler, to make salaries match, and a draft pick or two and possibly young point guard Eric Bledsoe.
It may not happen but there is a chance for a win-win scenario. The Clippers keep Chris Paul and with Griffin, Garnett and Pierce win their first NBA Championship and Rivers would coach a contender instead of watching Fab Melo commit fouls. The Celtics could undergo a very fast rebuild, especially if Bledsoe does arrive in the trade as that would allow them to move out Rajon Rondo for more assets. One year down the bottom of the standings could mean drafting Julius Randle or Jabari Parker in 2014, or winning the lottery to land Andrew Wiggins.
If the Celtics and Clippers don’t make a deal, the Celtics might still clear out the veterans and build for the future. The Celtics would try to use Pierce’s contract to acquire star players from a team trying to create cap-space or get out of luxury tax territory. Boston wouldn’t gain a lot by waiving Pierce, they would save some money but would not be under the cap to sign a star free agent.
Danny Ainge will soon have a team built around Rondo, Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger. If he keeps Garnett and Pierce until they retire he will have kept the fans happy for another year or two but won’t have as many young prospects on his roster as he would if he trades them now.
