I’ll have much more on this later, since, if true, this is the biggest story in Boston basketball since KG’s knee injury last year. Adrian Wojnarowski reports at Yahoo!:
There’s a chance there are no more big games for the Big Three. All together, this run could be over. Ainge has such immense decisions to make, and they must come sooner than later.
The Celtics have initiated trade proposals on Allen, multiple league sources say, and Boston is searching for a younger, less expensive guard and an expiring contract. This way they can find a replacement for the 34-year-old Allen without losing him and his $20 million expiring contract for nothing in free agency this summer. Only, there isn’t a shooting guard available who’s Allen’s peer. This threatens a perilous choice between transitioning for the future and refusing to compromise a chance to win a title now.
Allen is privately resigned to the fact that it’s unlikely the Celtics will want to re-sign him this summer. He’s believed to be intrigued with the possibility of joining the Miami Heat or staying close to his Connecticut home and signing with the New York Knicks.
I have many, many thoughts and not the chance to share them now. But Woj knows the league.
A deal for Ray will be very difficult to pull of in a way that helps the team win now. I’ll have more later.
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This makes me extremely sad. I love Ray, I love everything about his game, and he’s ever the true professional, great teammate, and just all around good guy.
It’ll be a sad thing to see him go if it happens. Is it necessary? Hell I don’t know, but god I wish we’d be able to see Ray come back to form and ride it out with this team… Dark, dark day.
How about we keep him for the season, resign him for a lot less money, and sign a replacement starting SG.
Knowing Ray he wouldn’t mind being the 6th man behind a younger, and more talented guard.
After Ray Ray missed the game winner last night, i say good. He’s old and he has lost his shot. He is no better than a good role player or sixth man
I love Ray Ray. Most of all, I would like to see him turn it around. We know what he is capable of…
It is a gamble for the Cs or for another team either way to keep him or trade him. Most trades don’t work out that well. A lot of people forget about the high possibility of getting worse. Just think about recent acquisitions JR, Bill, Mikki, Starberry, Lester—these were not trades, but we thought we were getting players who could help. We thought we were getting better…. It is easy to only think how things could be better….but not consider how things could be worse…. Most of the games that the Cs have lost have been close. Just a play or a couple of plays difference. It would be easier to trade Ray if we were getting blown out, but when we’ve been so close on these losses & still have a pretty good record with KG just coming back & Quis still to come…… when the difference has only been a few baskets in most of the losses it seems like minor tinkering would be better than major surgery. Quis could get us a few baskets. A healthier KG could get us a few more baskets.
If Danny has made up his mind to do some major surgery then who do you guys think would be the guys to go after? We all know owners & gms do squirelly things at times. With that in mind, & if Danny has his mind made up to trade Ray…. how about Ray for Mike Miller (6’8 sg who has some nice stats) & Brendan Haywood (7′ who gets about a double double each game w/ 2 blocks)?
This bums me out. Really bums me out. I know it’s just part of the game, but I’d hate to see him anywhere else, especially NY.
But gotta look to the future. This could be exactly what this team needs.
BTW, Bubbles, I laughed a little when I read the trade rumor between Portland and Washington after you had suggested either Andre or Haywood for us. Ironic, no?
they have to trade ray ray for a young guard to pair with rondo and perk. his expiring contract is the only thing they have to make a move this season or next. they might even be able to sign him for the full mid-level this summer if he’s willing to take that big of a paycut to be the perfect sixth man. i don’t like the hinrich deal with the bulls though. playing armchair gm, why isn’t anyone talking about iguadala and kapono’s expiring contract? the c’s take on 5 years of his contract but get a good young 2 guard to pair with rondo for the next few years. and the c’s actually save a few million from what the big 3 were costing. throw in this years 1st rounder if necessary as they won’t make the team anyway.
i dont think ray is really the problem. even though i dont like how he has been playing. but even with that our recent defeats have only been by one shot. but i think that if doc was to have rondo continue to run the offense in the 4th quarter like he does through quarters 1-3 we would actually win but instead rondo shuts down is hesitant to take a shot and it becomes 4 on 5. with ray and pierce running it. we wont win like that. especially against the top teams
Ray played well tonight
I really don’t want to see Ray Allen go. I’m a huge Ray Allen fan, he’s my favorite player, but he hasn’t been doing as well lately. His game hasn’t been All Star caliber lately. He’s not negatively impacting the team per say, but he’s not doing much to improve it. With this said I hope he shapes up or else he’s about to be shipped out.
As much as I love Ray and what he has done for this team i think it’s time to trade. His stay in boston has been really memorable from the championship to all those big shots he made in the 1st round series again chicago. He’s past his prime and I think it’s time for danny to take a risk on this one. I like the idea of trading for iguadala and kapono. But I’m a little worried about igudala’s shooting because it would leave us with just two shooters in garnett and pierce so we would lose the spacing we once had. Kapono gives us a fraction of the 3-point shooting we got from ray so all together it wouldn’t be a bad move. It transitions us into a possible new big three being perk rondo and iguadala as Garnett and pierce hang things up. But i’d like to see danny go for someone like danny granger if the pacers ever decide to give him up. He gives us size and a guy who can hit the open shot but we’d most likely have to give up TA and a first round draft pick. The salmons and hinrich deal wouldn’t be a bad move. it gives us our starting 2 guard and a true back up point guard who can come in an knock shots down while giving rondo more rest. I’d be happy to see any of these deals take place because with the recent play we need to do something quick
Trading Ray right now is not a great idea. Even if Ainge can replace Ray’s numbers, this is still a team that plays well together for the most part. Interrupting the kind of team work and timing that the Celtics have with Ray on the team would not work out well. Also, there really isn’t anyone available who could replace Ray. Monta Ellis would probably be the player available but he has not had to play defense in Golden State and that would not work out on this Celtics team. Igodala is another player mentioned, but he does not have the outside shooting capability that even a diminished Ray Allen has. Health is the most important thing for this team right now. In the playoffs there will be more rest between games which will help, no back-to-backs. This team can play at a championship level if they get healthier.
You’re right KY Celts Fan. It was ironic. It is hard to believe that the blazers were trying to move Andre earlier, but there are always some odd things going on with teams & trades. Pau being the ultimate what were they thinking….
I’d hate to be Danny right now. Sometimes the best decision is just to wait. I’m glad he was not tempted by AI or McGrady….
I really want to see him get the chance to turn it around. If I were to see Ray Allen in a NY jersey I think I’d cry. Nothing against NY, what I mean is Ray can still contribute to a contending team. It would be a sad way to end a H.O.F career.
We brought on Wallace and Marquis to win the whole thing THIS year. Get Marq back, let the team gel for the second half and do it. If we start talking about rebuiilding, we are wasting a lot more than one player – Ray. Chill on the panick Danny…unless, that is, you can get Antoine Walker back.
Sometimes the best move is the one you don’t make. I for one believe that this team can do it when healthy. You can’t chase health! It’s sorta like a dog chasing a car as there IS NEVER a victory in that.
The Ray talk is all about the contract and not the play. Ray has intimated that he would take less to stay with the Celts. Like the other posts, I’d love to see him coming off the bench next year. Eddie can be released and Ray can take his spot.
You also have to get PP to buy into whatever scenario they are discussing, because of his expiring contract in 2011. Is he more likely to reduce his salary requests if he feels like the brass didn’t give up on this year?