Heading into the All-Star break the Celtics sit in the fourth seed with a 32-18 record. This was a team that I thought was good enough to win a championship, I obviously miscalculated. At this juncture it's pretty clear that the Big 3 is aging, very quickly. Ray Allen's three point percentage is 33%, that's horrible considering he shot 40% just last season. Kevin Garnett still brings that fire and intensity which is amazing to watch, but he's no longer dependable for a double double every night. Paul Pierce is the one who really hasn't dropped off that much, he's still producing solid numbers night in and night out.
Breaking them up makes sense, as it stands, this team is good enough to be a very dangerous team in the East. But they're not good enough to seriously contend for a title. Back in the early 90's the Celtics held onto the original Big 3 (Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish) for a few years too long. The result was having to go through an entire decade without a competitive team. That's what is going to happen again if they keep this nucleus together too long.
Despite their age and declining level of play many teams would be interested in both Garnett and Allen. They should try to package them to get a superb young talent to play alongside Rajon Rondo for years to come. The first name that jumps to mind is Kevin Durant but I don't think the Thunder would trade him for anyone. The next name that pops up is Brandon Roy, now that's a real possibility.
It all depends on how the rest of the league views Kevin Garnett. They could still view him as a force in the league, or they could see him as a superstar reaching the end of his career.
If a blockbuster is out of the question, then at the very least they need to trade Ray Allen. His mammoth of a contract expires at the end of this season, and considering his recent play I have a hard time seeing the Celtics sign him back. It makes sense to get something back for him instead of losing him for nothing.
If I were in Danny Ainge's seat right now I would try to get my hands on O.J Mayo. I'm not sure how exactly they're going to be able to do that but him and Rondo would be a fantastic duo who could play together for years and years. Maybe they could try to do something like this:
Grizzlies get: Ray Allen, Randy Foye
Celtics get: O.J. Mayo, Mike Miller
Wizards get: Zach Randolph
Here's why this makes sense. The Grizzlies get rid of Zach Randolph's big contract, while taking on Ray Allen's expiring contract. That means that 18.7 million dollars would be coming off the books after this season. That gives them sufficient funds to make a run at LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, or any other upcoming free agent.
It makes sense for the Celtics because they get a great young player in O.J. Mayo while also acquiring a sharpshooter in Mike Miller.
The Wizards would gain a formidable big man down low. There are many rumors right now concerning Brandon Haywood. If he were to be traded, this would be a major upgrade in Washington.
You may have noticed that I left Paul Pierce out of the trade consideration. Pierce stuck with the Celtics through miserable seasons, he deserves the respect to not be traded, and end his career in Boston. Loyalty is a big deal, Pierce is one of those guys who just simply can't be traded. He's like Tim Duncan in that way. The fans would absolutely flip if they saw one of the greatest Celtics ever in another jersey. Also, Pierce is still producing so trading him makes little sense right now.
There's no doubt that breaking up the Big 3 would cause the Celtics to be much less successful in the next 2 years. But what it really comes down to is this. Are the Celtics satisfied with just being a good team, with little championship hopes. Or are they willing to sacrifice the next year or two for a better chance to win multiple championships down the line.
The Celtics aren't done yet. They could still turn this season around. I just have a hard time seeing them beat the Cavs, Magic, or Hawks in a seven game series. For that reason breaking up the Big 3 makes a lot of sense.
