Trade Pierce & KG?

[nepg]

Here's the idea:

Utah might lose Boozer this off-season, and Andre Kirilenko is grossly overpaid. Maybe the C's can move KG to Utah in exchange for AK47 (money is close, AK47 has one less year).

Then I'm wondering if Pierce can be used in a S&T for a guy like Amare Stoudemire. Phoenix will have to pay Channing Frye and move him to the starting lineup, but that gives them:
Lopez
Frye
Pierce
Richardson
Nash
-------
Hill
Barbosa
Dudley
Dragic
Amundson

The problems for the C's stay pretty similar (lack of outside scoring), but they would have a focus are younger, and improve the inside game immensely. Build around the Stoudemire-Rondo combo. Lots of work to be done with the MLE and draft... Pretty much nothing but swingmen and a PG.

Perk
Stoudemire
Kirilienko (brings some Posey-ness)
???
Rondo
-------
Wallace
Davis
???

[nighthob]

Given Phoenix's medical staff and Garnett's jellied knee, and the reality that Amare's leaving, I think a Garnett for Stoudemire trade far more likely. Boston would need to arrange to reduce Phoenix's payroll in the transaction, so it would likely need to be something like Stoudemire/Barbosa for Garnett/cash/picks (or maybe swap out Richardson for Barbosa and add Davis to Boston's side of the ledger). But I think it's a more likely scenario.

[BritCelticsFan]

Rondo-Amare would be an alley oop every other time up the floor.

would definitely take Barbosa as security for Ray and Rondo as well

[Spleen]

The question everyone needs to ask before considering Amare is which Amare do you think you'll be getting? He's played extremely well for the last 2 1/2 months, hitting shots, driving to the net, rebounding and even playing some D. Prior to that he has a 7 1/2 year history of not always playing very hard, and since he can't spell defense, then why bother trying to do it? It has never been a question of his talent, rather it has always been a question of his heart and head. He absolutely wants to be paid a max contract, but if he gets one locked down for the next 5 years what kind of assurance would you have that he would hustle and play hard like he has the past few months? More than likely once he has all of that guaranteed money, he'd revert back to his true colors and everyone would be feeling ripped off except for him of course.

He also had a serious knee and eye injury, and though he appears to be over both, who knows if there may be problems down the road?

Stat is holding all of the cards now because he can opt out of his contract this summer or he can accept a 17.5 player option for one more season with the Suns. Kerr is probably sweating either move. If he leaves they get nothing. If he stays they pay him big bucks and then he'll probably not want to re-sign with them and again they get nothing. There was a lot of talk of trading him this past deadline, but unless he would sign off on an extension, it would put most any team interested in him worrying that they would only get him for a short time and then he would be gone.

He's got all the talent and tools, but whenever it isn't too noisy you can hear the marble rolling around in his head.

[nighthob]

That's the point, the deal would be a summer sign & trade (Amar'e has already said that he's opting out, so that's not a question). Boston's options are extremely limited at the moment. They have no top ten players on this roster, and none on the horizon. Stoudemire's a risk for sure, but he's also a top 10 player, and when on his game top 5. The defense takes a hit, but they get immeasurably better, offensively. Without a change this roster will be fortunate to win 48 games next year.

[Spleen]

That's the point, the deal would be a summer sign & trade (Amar'e has already said that he's opting out, so that's not a question). Boston's options are extremely limited at the moment. They have no top ten players on this roster, and none on the horizon. Stoudemire's a risk for sure, but he's also a top 10 player, and when on his game top 5. The defense takes a hit, but they get immeasurably better, offensively. Without a change this roster will be fortunate to win 48 games next year.

Amare has not said he was definitely going to opt out of his contract this summer, but he also hasn't said he won't, most feel his stellar play of late is a prelude to his opting out. He's playing the field and that's exactly why he's been playing so well of late -- he's playing for his next contract. Nobody has ever doubted his talent and ability, but he's also shown over the course of his career that he won't play any defense, and often times won't rebound which is a sin for a guy his size.

I see a lot of Rasheed Wallace's mindset in Amare, and that's why I wouldn't want any part of him. On nights he felt like playing, he can be the best player on the floor, but everything is always on his terms and when he feels like it. A true star comes to play every night and inspires his teammates to play harder, and this is not a characteristic he has shown to possess. He loves being the centerpiece of the scoring, but there is more to the game, and those aspects will always escape him. Coaches lose sleep and hair over players like this because they have the talent, but lack the will and commitment.

I know what you mean about if we stand pat, then we're a 48 (or less) win team next season, but tying our future to him would ultimately be a mistake. We may just have to bite the bullet and rebuild and wait for the seedlings to grow.

[nighthob]

Amare has not said he was definitely going to opt out of his contract this summer, but he also hasn't said he won't, most feel his stellar play of late is a prelude to his opting out. He's playing the field and that's exactly why he's been playing so well of late -- he's playing for his next contract. Nobody has ever doubted his talent and ability, but he's also shown over the course of his career that he won't play any defense, and often times won't rebound which is a sin for a guy his size.

Amar'e has to declare before the summer trading season. Opt-outs aren't like team options. Team options vest on August 1st, but player options have to be picked up before the new season starts (which is July 1st). And, yes, when the trade talks with Cleveland came up Stoudemore made a point that he wouldn't accept any trade without an extension. So he's opting out. He hasn't made any bones about this. Phoenix has tried to play it down and convince him to pick up his option, but they're the only people hopeful here. Stoudemire's agent would fire him for picking up that option in a summer season with a dozen teams under the cap desperate for a big free agent singing.



I know what you mean about if we stand pat, then we're a 48 (or less) win team next season, but tying our future to him would ultimately be a mistake. We may just have to bite the bullet and rebuild and wait for the seedlings to grow.

There are no seedlings. The way this roster has fallen apart means that the team would be about ten years from contending because they've totally screwed the pooch. The only guys that are 25 and under are either offensively challenged or fat, short power forwards.

[Spleen]

Amar'e has to declare before the summer trading season. Opt-outs aren't like team options. Team options vest on August 1st, but player options have to be picked up before the new season starts (which is July 1st). And, yes, when the trade talks with Cleveland came up Stoudemore made a point that he wouldn't accept any trade without an extension. So he's opting out. He hasn't made any bones about this. Phoenix has tried to play it down and convince him to pick up his option, but they're the only people hopeful here. Stoudemire's agent would fire him for picking up that option in a summer season with a dozen teams under the cap desperate for a big free agent singing.

There are no seedlings. The way this roster has fallen apart means that the team would be about ten years from contending because they've totally screwed the pooch. The only guys that are 25 and under are either offensively challenged or fat, short power forwards.

I think he's opting out as well, but perhaps for a different reason -- I don't think he can keep up the charade that he'll come to play hard every night much longer than he has done. The thought of taking the option and then having to play hard all next season in order to get his big contract is too frightening. All the more reason you don't want this dude on your team once he's locked in for a long term max contract.


The seedlings would be future picks since we are wee thin of those on the current roster. 10 years? Not great, but less than half of what it took this last time. With some luck in the lottery, fortunes could change sooner.

[nighthob]

Yeah, the odds of "luck in the lottery" are pretty much non-existant. Boston had a 40% chance of landing the top pick in the Duncan draft (as Vancouver, the only team with a worse record was ineligible for #1) and landed third. They ended up fifth the next time they were in the position. When it comes to deals you're always dealing for guys with warts, and it'd be no different here. As for Stoudemire's defense, it actually has improved over the years. He's probably average, but for the offensive game you can live with it.

[CaptChris]

One thing is for sure. Trade any or all of the Big Three. We made the mistake with Bird, McHale, and Parish, and it cost us a generation without a contenter.