Pros and Cons of trading Paul for Pau

[LarBrd33]

I like to think I'm one of the least sentimental folks on this board... so I'll start us off here.

Pros: Trading Paul for Pau would make us a better team.  Since Shaq hobbled off the court, our biggest weakness has been size next to KG.  Pau Gasol is still a fantastic basketball player. I understand people think he's washed up and having a bad season.  I imagine he just hates playing on that team right now.  They keep talking about trading him... TRIED to trade him last year... and Kobe Bryant badmouths him publicly (telling him to put on his "big boy" pants).  Kobe has some nerve... Pau Gasol essentially carried Kobe to two titles and this is how Kobe repays him?  I still see Gasol as a top 5 big man in the game.

Take last year for instance.  Statistically (despite playing with Kobe and Bynum) he still was the 8th best player in the league.  Averages of 17.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 blocks with 50% shooting.  He's 32 years old (4 years younger than KG)  ... I could easily see him averaging 20 and 10 for a team.

I see Jeff Green as our 4th best player.  He's a starting SF.  He should be playing the SF position.  We are paying him starters money.  Trading Pierce for Pau frees up Jeff to start.  We'd have two 7 footers and a 6'9 SF.  It would make us a better team than we are today.


CONS: Seeing Pierce in Laker gold would make me vomit. I couldn't stomach it at all.  It would be too painful.  I'd hate to ship him out.  Despite the fact it WOULD improve the team, I'm not sure how KG and Rondo would react to it.


Final Thoughts: Pierce is my favorite player of this generation.  I named my cat after him.  Trading him for Pau Gasol would improve our team.  That said, I couldn't stand the thought of Pierce in Laker gold.   Also, I'm pretty sure Pierce has vetoed at least two trades in the past... as far back as 2005 draft when we attempted to trade to Portland for cap space and the pick that was to be Chris paul... and most recently last trade deadline when we supposedly were trading him to Brooklyn for picks, but some report that Pierce killed it.  In other words, I'm not sure PIerce would even be on board with a trade.  He might just threaten retirement.  The only way I'd do this trade would be if Pierce was ok with it, if KG and Rondo were ok with it... and if it involved sending Pierce to a third team like Indiana. 

[Chris]

The whole idea of trading Paul Pierce, particularly for another short window, "win now" piece like Pau gives me a headache.  Really, I just can't wrap my head around it. 

There are just too many variable, the least of which being whether or not Pierce is the heart and soul of this team (maybe its KG, maybe its Rondo...but it may just be Pierce), and taking him away could take away the heart which has helped them be as good as they are the last few years, and continue to rise, every time people count them for dead.

I am not saying I wouldn't do the deal, and I am not saying I would.  I just would rather not have to deal with the emotional and mental anguish of this debate, unless it were more solidly on the horizon (or, in fact, a done deal).  But that's just me.

[Who]

I still see Gasol as a top 5 big man in the game.

+1

[2short]

If you are cold blooded then yes the trade makes sense.  Pau improves our front line and we still have bass or sullinger to trade for another sf.  Green gets starters minutes and playing with rondo. 

For staying with the Celtics and BEING a Celtic when things were bad I'd only trade Paul at this point in his career if he wanted to (even if it meant the lakers)
Its a ray bourque sort of thing.   If we were not going to make playoffs and going with a youth movement and PP said I'd like to go to a contender for another shot at a championship before retiring, well I'd have him write down the teams he wanted and do my best to accommodate.

Paul is a bit off right now, but no one outside of rondo and kg have been consistent so far this year.  Yes he is due $$$ but the man put up with Rick  Pitino and didn't ask to be traded.  That in itself is a big check mark in "the book"

[j804]

Where did this thing come from, the trade??

[Who]

If you are cold blooded then yes the trade makes sense.  Pau improves our front line and we still have bass or sullinger to trade for another sf.

I think you would need to keep Bass to bolster the bench. He would be very valuable off the bench playing alongside either Kevin Garnett or Pau Gasol. Sprinkle in either Wilcox, Sully or Collins as the fourth big (depending on matchups) and Boston would have a very talented big man rotation.

It's a pity Pietrus signed with Toronto. He would have been a great option.

Donte Green is probably the best available option now. Jamario Moon is also there but he can't matchup against LeBron, Melo or G-Wallace due to his lack of strength/power. Moon is more of a big SG than a true SF. 

[GreenFaith1819]

I think we take a step back with such a trade, IMO.

Paul is not quite the Paul we are used to, even with his advanced age, but we'd lose a TON of leadership, deep threat, facilitation from the 3, and clutchness if we do this trade.

Paul Pierce, on offense, is still among the best SFs in the game. And he is not THAT bad defensively...he is a bit slower, but I can live with that considering everything else he brings.

I'd rather that THIS group give Banner 18 at least another run or two.

[GreenEnvy]

I still see Gasol as a top 5 big man in the game.

+1

-1

[ScottHow]

If Pau's knees are healthy that trade makes so much sense it'd never happen.

[BballTim]

I like to think I'm one of the least sentimental folks on this board... so I'll start us off here.

Pros: Trading Paul for Pau would make us a better team.  Since Shaq hobbled off the court, our biggest weakness has been size next to KG.  Pau Gasol is still a fantastic basketball player. I understand people think he's washed up and having a bad season.  I imagine he just hates playing on that team right now.  They keep talking about trading him... TRIED to trade him last year... and Kobe Bryant badmouths him publicly (telling him to put on his "big boy" pants).  Kobe has some nerve... Pau Gasol essentially carried Kobe to two titles and this is how Kobe repays him?  I still see Gasol as a top 5 big man in the game.

Take last year for instance.  Statistically (despite playing with Kobe and Bynum) he still was the 8th best player in the league.  Averages of 17.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 blocks with 50% shooting.  He's 32 years old (4 years younger than KG)  ... I could easily see him averaging 20 and 10 for a team.

I see Jeff Green as our 4th best player.  He's a starting SF.  He should be playing the SF position.  We are paying him starters money.  Trading Pierce for Pau frees up Jeff to start.  We'd have two 7 footers and a 6'9 SF.  It would make us a better team than we are today.

CONS: Seeing Pierce in Laker gold would make me vomit. I couldn't stomach it at all.  It would be too painful.  I'd hate to ship him out.  Despite the fact it WOULD improve the team, I'm not sure how KG and Rondo would react to it.

  Cons: It's a stretch to say that Pau carried Kobe to two titles, and it's also a stretch to say that, statistically, Pau was the 8th best player in the league last year. You're going with efficiency on nba.com, which isn't the be all and end all of stats. But even using that, he was outside the top 20 in efficiency/48min and he was outside the top 30 in PER. His numbers have dropped significantly over the last two years and there's no guarantee they'll shoot back up, and he's unhealthy to boot. Also, not having PP will be pretty painful against the Heat in the playoffs and we'd be pretty thin at sf.

  Pros: It will help with the rebounding and overall team size and the team should be better with KG on the bench. Also Green would probably do better with more minutes, although he might be less aggressive with better players on the court with him (Pau over Bass).

[LarBrd33]

I think we take a step back with such a trade, IMO.

Paul is not quite the Paul we are used to, even with his advanced age, but we'd lose a TON of leadership, deep threat, facilitation from the 3, and clutchness if we do this trade.

Paul Pierce, on offense, is still among the best SFs in the game. And he is not THAT bad defensively...he is a bit slower, but I can live with that considering everything else he brings.

I'd rather that THIS group give Banner 18 at least another run or two.

No don't get me wrong.  Pierce is still our 2nd best player behind Kevin Garnett.  I'm just saying that this roster doesn't make sense right.  We have no quality size next to KG and are paying starting money for a SF to come off the bench.  It's silly.  Trading Pierce for Pau solves the main issues.  It's pretty much a sideways talent trade... you're giving up a top 5 SF for a top 5 big, because you need a big and have a starting SF stuck on the bench.   

I would strongly prefer trading Jeff green for pau, but I don't see that ever happening.  I don't see Pau for Paul happening either, but it's interesting to talk about.

[Edgar]

pros: i like Pau

cons: man, PP Can be champ with both Cs AND Lakers this one of those trades both team benefits.

Who knows.... Pau can be champ wth both Cs AND Lakers

Why not trading Pau for the house?

[GreenFaith1819]

I think we take a step back with such a trade, IMO.

Paul is not quite the Paul we are used to, even with his advanced age, but we'd lose a TON of leadership, deep threat, facilitation from the 3, and clutchness if we do this trade.

Paul Pierce, on offense, is still among the best SFs in the game. And he is not THAT bad defensively...he is a bit slower, but I can live with that considering everything else he brings.

I'd rather that THIS group give Banner 18 at least another run or two.

No don't get me wrong.  Pierce is still our 2nd best player behind Kevin Garnett.  I'm just saying that this roster doesn't make sense right.  We have no quality size next to KG and are paying starting money for a SF to come off the bench.  It's silly.  Trading Pierce for Pau solves the main issues.  It's pretty much a sideways talent trade... you're giving up a top 5 SF for a top 5 big, because you need a big and have a starting SF stuck on the bench.   

I would strongly prefer trading Jeff green for pau, but I don't see that ever happening.  I don't see Pau for Paul happening either, but it's interesting to talk about.

It's VERY interesting to talk about.

Pau Gasol still has 2-3 elite yrs left in him, despite how he's being used in LA.

And as much as Kobe panders up to him with his recent comments, I'd be shocked if he doesn't get traded:

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/8712002/kobe-bryant-los-angeles-lakers-says-loves-pau-gasol-brother

He NOW loves Pau like a brother, LOL.



I still don't trust that Pau will be in Purp and Gold come the trade deadline. I just hope he ends up out west, where he can stick it to LA several times a yr until he hangs up his sneakers.

I'd bet that LA would try to take us to the cleaners for Pau. He won't come cheap.

[snively]

I'd do it.  Pau is 3 years younger than Pierce - more star production left in him. 

It would create some roster dislocation in the short-term, but I think it's worth it.

KG & Pau would be an excellent big man combo too.  Extremely difficult for any team to match up against that combination of size and skill, especially with KG's range (offensively and defensively).  And with a player like Rondo, Pau would not lack for touches.

[GreenFaith1819]

I just think that with ANY scenario where we trade Paul, we just take a step back in a matchup with MIA.

Paul didn't play THAT bad vs MIA in the ECF's...in fact, I thought he had a good series offensively.

We'd get bigger with Pau, but a frontline of Pau and KG is not beating MIA.

Paul, KG, Bass, Wilcox, AB, Rondo, etc - I just think that when healthy Ainge has built the team to combat MIA.

Pau would add a different dimension to BOS, but I see us having lesser of a shot at beating MIA.