Garnett to Boston deal close

Well, maybe I was right when I put Garnett and Allen on the same team in the Mock draft!

Wow, we have a new favorite in the Eastern confrence... It will be interesting to see if Paul Pierce can handle being the 2nd option.

You think Boston becomes the favorite in the East?

I think they become the favorite in the Atlantic division for sure, but they may very well be that even without Garnett, just with the growth of Jefferson. But yeah, this is a team that seems like they might be able to light a few people up this season.

Allen+Pierce+Garnett is a tough act to contain. I don't know if they will be deep enough, but you are also talking about 3 guys who are each used to carrying teams. That burden being shared would lighten up the stress of the minutes they play, and that will sure help. Rajan Rondo will get to play his pure point position and not have to worry about scoring at all, instead he can concentrate on D and distribution. Their depth at the big positions are the only thing holding them back, but then again how many big teams are there in the East?

Wow their depth would really take a hit if they get Garnett.

So one their bench theyd have Big Baby, Gabe Pruitt, Scalabrine and Allan Ray. Basically a bunch of young players who dont have much experience besides Scalabrine.

I dont think you could put them as the favorite in the Eastern Conference but definitely in the playoffs for sure. I really hope this means a powershift to the East might be in the making.

That's an AWFUL deal long-term for Boston and a MONSTER deal for Minnesota, especially if they get Gomes and the pick. Jefferson is young, cheap, and highly productive, you can't give up those kind of guys, and on top of that they add a wing with potential, a ton of cap space, and possibly another productive forward and another pick. Honestly, given the age and contract disparity, I'd hesitate to deal Jefferson for KG straight up, and I LOVE KG's game. You're only guaranteed to have him for one year at about $20 mil, and even if he stays you're going to suck again in 3 years when those guys are nearing the end of their career and are incredibly expensive.

Granted it makes them a major threat short term barring disastrous chemistry, but that'll only last for a few years. I think it'd work though, Garnett doesn't really demand the ball late or constantly, and Allen has played with other solid scorers and is kind of a complimentary player anyways. The only problem is Pierce might take every shot late when there are two other quality options.

deal is done

20 shots a piece for KG, Allen, and Pierce is NOT going to work.

We thought that about Iverson and Carmelo and it worked out fine. Boston now has 3 All-Stars at different positions. That immediately puts then in contention.

for one year, until KG opts out. they now have no bench and traded away their future

I don't like this deal at all for Boston. It's another case of Ainge trying to take the "quick" fix. He needs to learn that to win it all, you have to build a team through smart trades/free agent signings and most importantly, smart drafts. But, he just likes trading their picks away for old vets, who give them a 2-3 year window to win a championship (which is not likely) before having to start it all over and rebuild.

It did?

I completely agree with you. Boston is obviously going to be decent this year but they are NOT a championship contender and they wont be for the next few years. They'll be solid for the next few years and then back in the cellar.

What about Ryan Gomes, Leon Powe & Tony Allen?

I know what you're saying about the age thing, but all reports I have heard have them getting Jefferson, Green, Telfair, & Ratliff along with a possible future pick(s). That's a lot but a report also said that as part of the deal Garnett would sign a 3 year extension and would end up with a 5 year $120 million contract. (that includes his 2 years 45+ he still has left). That way it isn't a rent a Garnett for a year trade.

The Celtics would have 3 good years and then boom. That teams is done. It would be great while it lasted but in the end they'd be left with Rondo, Gomes, Allen and nobody. That is, unless they use cap room in the future on a superstar.

Actually, Gomes is supposedly in the deal, along with two first round picks. The other two starters will probably be Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, with only Tony Allen off the bench, who's coming off a major surgery. Then if Pierce or Allen gets hurt like last year you've got major problems.

This just looks like it's going to KILL the Celtics in about 3 years, when the big 3 are either gone or just plain suck. Plus they'll be far enough down in the draft that it'll be pretty hard to draft their replacements, when they have picks again of course.

You already had a probable All-Star caliber guy at the PF spot who was a lot younger and cheaper, I really think it would have been a lot smarter to keep those 3 productive players you traded and the two picks and let those guys develop while still being pretty competitive, instead of selling the future to make a team that probably still won't beat the West teams. It'd be an awful lot easier to rebuild around Jefferson, Rondo, Green, Gomes and Allen in 3 years then if you trade three of them including the big guy.

Now the interesting thing for the Celtics, if this deal gets done, is them skimming bottom for some veteran exceptions to add to this team. Don't forget guys like Chris Webber, Earl Boykins, Ruben Patterson, and others are still out there that could be added.

Well...they added Eddie House and Jackie Manual...

What Boston has to hope for is a few veteran guys looking to chase a ring willing to sign on the cheap.

yeah, that is what I was getting at earlier. Someone is going ot see those names together and think that it is a good place to take a chance if they can't find the money they want somewhere else.

They are going to need it to happen, because no matter how much star power they have they still need some depth to finish in the top 3 or so in the East. At least IMO.

Interesting to look back on how we viewed the Celts after the Garnett trade was done...

Haha, do I look like a jackass. I might have to bump that Celtics thread in the Bulls section when I'm defending them more.

I figured they'd be about a 50 win team and make the conference finals, possibly winning the east but losing to the western champ. Obviously after they got out to a 66-win season and finished it off the trade looks a lot different, though they're still going to be bad again in a few years.

It's interesting how much Gerald Green has fallen off too, at the time of the trade he was already a fairly productive scorer (albiet on an awful team and not offering much else) with quite a bit of upside, he barely saw the floor this year. What's even weirder is he was traded to the Rockets and later released, I totally missed that. Very rapid fall for a guy that averaged 10 a game in only 22 minutes at the age of 21.

I still like Jefferson A LOT, but it's become obvious that the chasm on the defensive side between him and Garnett can't get much bigger. I hadn't watched him get lit up enough in Boston the previous year, and for good reason because you'd have to be a masochist to watch the 06-07 Celtics. This year with the big guy on my fantasy team I watched a few T-Wolves games and constantly saw box scores with the other guy putting up 25-30 on him.

Wow, I was completely wrong. I was really enamored with Jefferson when they made this deal and thought he they'd regret giving him up in the long run... But they won a championship, so after all the terrible terrible moves Danny Ainge has made, he finally got something right.

Ya, I think I win the biggest idiot award in this thread.

Haven't been here in a long, long time.....

Seeing how successful Boston did this kind of a trade, why can't the Bulls do something?

Prepare to flame me, but I suggest.......

To Chicago: Carmelo Anthony
To Denver: Ben Gordon (Sign and trade), Luol Deng (Sign and Trade), and Kirk Hinrich.

Anthony isn't quite the difference maker on your win total that KG is, even at 31. He's a phenomenal scorer, but Garnett is pretty good too and is far better on the defensive end.