The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre writes today about Celtics GM Danny Ainge retelling a story from his playing days when he was sitting around with Celtics legendary coach Red Auerbach. In particular, it was about how Red had many opportunities to trade away his big name players late in their careers, including Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird:
"He had a chance to trade Larry [to Indiana] for Chuck Person and Herb Williams and [Steve] Stipanovich, and he had a chance to trade Kevin [to Dallas] for Detlef Schrempf and Sam Perkins. I was, like, ‘Are you kidding?’
"I mean, I feel that way now. If I were presented with those kinds of deals for our aging veterans, it’s a done deal, to continue the success."
Ainge is referring to his aging "Big 3" of Ray Allen, 37, Kevin Garnett, 36, and Paul Pierce, 34. While Allen and Garnett wouldn't be able to help the Pacers too much, McIntyre thinks Pierce could be a valuable piece for the Blue and Gold:
The Pacers could be a factor in the East in May/June, but they’re shooting just 41% from the field, by far lowest of any team with nine or more wins. Pierce might be the most difficult to deal, though â€" he’s slated to make $16 million next year, and $15 million the following year.
While the price tag for Pierce would be high, what amounts to a two-year deal for Pierce fits into what the Pacers did in the off-season, where they signed David West for just two years, and still have some room under the cap. While the season is still in its infancy, with the Pacers sitting just a half game out in the Eastern Conference, this certainly is something to watch for in the coming months.
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