At What Price Garnett?
By Bruce Allen
bruce@bostonsportsmedia.com
The Celtics have made national headlines this week with the news that they are in trade talks with Minnesota for superstar forward Kevin Garnett. Danny Ainge even admitted that the teams have had discussions. They have also been a hot topic on sports radio and around the blogosphere.
In a proposed deal that Chad Ford on ESPN.com mentioned, things would go something like this:
In this scenario, Boston would send Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, and change to Minnesota along with the No. 5 pick in the upcoming draft. In exchange, the Celtics would get Garnett.
Right off the bat, if that is the price, count me out. If they give up Jefferson, Green AND the #5 pick, they’re betting way too much of their future on the next 2-3 years, perhaps less depending on the contract situation with Garnett. (He can opt out in the summer of 2008 if he wishes.) They would also have a huge salary cap number divided among two players - Pierce and Garnett, which would force them to pretty much surround those two with flotsam and jetsam. Then, as those two get older over the next couple of years, if they don’t make the run they’re expected, the Celtics will likely be facing another massive rebuilding project in the very near future.
If perhaps they gave up 2 out of the 3 of Jefferson, Green and the #5 pick, in might be a little more palatable, but it would probably leave the Celtics with Green, who still has a ways to go in his development, and is more of a possible replacement for Pierce down the road rather than a compliment for him now. (Note: Another version of this trade was discussed on WEEI’s “Big Show” this afternoon and had Wally Szczerbiak in the deal instead of Green, and Troy Hudson coming over along with Garnett.)
I’m more intrigued with the idea of keeping Pierce and Jefferson and trying to pry a guy like Andrei Kirilenko away from the Jazz. (Bill Simmons mentions this today.) If they could keep the 5th overall pick and take someone like Corey Brewer (someone has to guard LeBron, and it’s not going to be Green, Gomes, West or likely even Allen.) which would give them an athletic, well balanced team that could make some noise in the East.
So while I would love to add Garnett to the Celtics, I believe that the price being floated out there right now is too high. The Celtics would be be served looking for another veteran piece that can help them next year, and be a compliment to the inside/outside game of Pierce and Jefferson.
Meanwhile, a few rumors of trades involving Pierce are out there as well. In a separate article, Ford threw out the following:
A similar trade could work if the Lakers were willing to substitute Boston and Pierce. While Pierce is almost 30 years old, I’m told the Lakers like him — and he’s from L.A., too.
The Bulls would send Gordon, Thomas and Brown (sign-and-trade) to Boston, and the No. 9 pick to L.A.
The Lakers would send Bryant to Chicago.
The Celtics would send Pierce to L.A.
That deal would make the Celtics even younger than they already are, but it would also give them plenty of assets to continue making deals.
This would be more of a step back for the Celtics, as they likely would not be Eastern conference contenders with that roster, but as Ford mentions, it would give them even more of a stockpile for future trades. But haven’t we been doing that for years already?
It’s time to take a step forward, while still being responsible for the future.
