Trade bait

Over the past couple of weeks there has been a lot of trade chatter involving the Celtics. Most of this chatter is pure speculation, while the rest is coming from apparent "sources". While most of the rumors can be debunked as just that - rumors - I believe that it would be naive of any of us to think that Danny Ainge isn't at least kicking the tires a bit. After all, he wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't. And part of that job would be to prolong the championship window that will close sooner, rather than later, if the C's stand pat. We're now a little more than a week away from the 2009 NBA Draft, and there certainly has been a lot of smoke for there not to be at least a little spark. And while deals don't have to be done prior to, or on, draft day, let's take a look at what the bait could be, and how many fish are in the pond that could bite. The Bait Ray Allen - Unless you've been under a rock for the past few weeks, you know that Ray Allen's trade value isn't tied into his still-stellar play. It's about that hefty expiring contract. Sugar Ray's value will never be higher than it is right now, and could fetch an All Star-type young talent from a team looking to shed salary. Rajon Rondo - He was mostly brilliant during the regular season. And he was arguably the best PG on the planet during the Chicago series. But Orlando exposed R2D2 in the 2nd round by daring him to beat them out on the perimeter. He couldn't do it. Now there are rumors that Rondo wants a hefty contract extension. Additionally, there's no guarantee that he'll develop a jump shot that the opposition needs to respect. Rondo is a top-10 PG. But, like Ray Allen, his value is higher than it's ever been. Could it get higher? Yes. But it is just as likely that it has hit it's peak. I'm not saying they should trade him for a pair of shoes. But if he can net the C's a similar star a return, trading him should be a consideration. Kendrick Perkins - I hesitate even mentioning Perk. My man-crush on him runs pretty deep. But Ainge reportedly offered him (and Bill Walker) to Memphis for the #2 pick in the draft, so he has to be part of the discussion. While Memphis may balk at the offer Ainge put on the table, the fact of the matter is that Perk's value to the Celtics is far greater than to any other team in the league. And he may just be the best post-defender in the NBA - he was the only one who could neutralize Dwight Howard in the playoffs. Maybe it's just bias on my part, but I think that Perk is one of three players on the roster that cannot be replaced as the team is built right now. If Perk is traded, then it's either the first part or the last part of something much larger in scale. The Fish Phoenix Suns - Let's start with the team that was linked to the first rumor of the summer. The talk in Phoenix is that the Suns are in salary dump mode. And the four most talked about contracts that they want to dump are Stoudemire, Shaq, Barbosa, and JRich. Allen/Rondo for Stoudemire/Barbosa deal works, and makes sense for both teams. The Suns shed a ton of salary, and get back their future PG along with a productive expiring deal. The Celtics would have the best frontcourt in basketball, and a pretty good player (6th man perhaps?) in Barbosa. I would think that an extension would have to be worked out with Amare (ala KG) for it to work for the C's. Whether that's in the cards or not, I don't know. Sacramento Kings - Depending on who you believe, the Kings approached the Celtics, or the Celtics approached the Kings, about the Kings' #4 pick in the draft. The trade, if it went down, would center around Rajon Rondo, with the Celtics getting the pick and a player in return. It's been said that the Celtics would want either Jason Thompson or Spencer Hawes in return, something that I doubt the kIngs would do. A deal involving Nocioni might also be possible, since both teams discussed a trade involving him before the trade deadline last season. Memphis Grizzlies - Memphis holds the #2 pick in the draft. And while there isn't a clear-cut player to take there, there would have to be someone that Ainge really covets (Thabeet, Rubio) in order for him to make a play for it. That being said, I think the price tag would be too high for anything realistic to happen. The Perk/Walker offer probably wasn't enough for Memphis, if it were even offered. Atlanta Hawks - Nothing has really been tied to the Celtics, but the talk is that Atlanta is shopping Josh Smith. Could a Rondo/Allen for Smith/J. Johnson deal ever get done? Probably not. But it does work. And, like Ray Allen, Johnson is an expiring deal, which essentially makes this a Rondo for Smith trade. Rondo fills the void left by Mike Bibby (assuming he doesn't return), and Smith gives the Celts that athletic SF that we know they covet. However, the real road block may be the 6 million dollar trade kicker that goes along with Smith's contract. That's a big pill to swallow given the current economic climate. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are probably a few more out there that would be good fits, but these are the ones that stand out to me. I still believe that something will happen between now and June 25th. At least, I hope it does. While I love the PGA trio, that championship door is going to slam shut very quickly unless moves are made - popular or not.