First, Kevin Garnett said no to playing for the Boston Celtics. Next it was Shawn Marion who expressed disdain at the opportunity to play for Boston. Then, it was Jermaine O'Neal. Danny Ainge has his work cut out for him these days. He has eagerly shopped prospect forward Al Jefferson and the fifth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft for a big name player to team with Paul Pierce. Yet, no NBA star seems willing to play for the Celtics.
Paul Pierce is losing patience. He has voiced his frustration of playing for a losing team over the past few seasons and could be close to demanding a trade. If the Celtics trade Pierce, they would most likely steer toward the path of all-out rebuilding.
Some trade scenerios that could be possibilities for Boston to explore, should they choose to shop Pierce around, are:
- Pierce to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy and a future draft pick.
- Pierce to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Troy Murphy (or Mike Dunleavy), Jeff Foster and Danny Granger.
- Pierce to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Richard Jefferson and perhaps Josh Boone (Pierce with Jason Kidd and Vince Carter would be fun to watch)
- Pierce and perhaps a late draft pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Lamar Odon and Andrew Bynum.
There has been no talks reported to the public that resemble any of the before mentioned trades, but they are interesting notions to consider.
The Celtics have plenty of young talent and should be able to craft a solid trade packge to bring help to the team. Al Jefferson is coming off a career year; Gerald Green is still regarded as a rising star with a high ceiling; Delonte West has shown great consistency; Rajon Rondo had a strong finish; Tony Allen was playing out of his mind before getting injured; Kendrick Perkins is a solid rebounder when healthy; and Ryan Gomes can play both forward positions and is a tough-nosed player.
The Celtics need a consistent center in the worst way. However, there isn't expected to be one available that's worthy of being drafted with the fifth pick of the NBA Draft. The team is expected to draft either forward Yi Jianlian, forward Jeff Green or trade the pick altogether. They also might consider trying to acquire another pick or trade up from the fifth spot.
However Boston's off season goes, it's looking more and more likely that Paul Pierce's days as a Celtic are numbered.
