Flip Saunders (Celtics Advisor) doesn't expect any big moves

[Gomesfan]

Would Toronto trade Lowry for Rondo with injury? I would do that deal.

Probably not.

I wouldn't do it from either teams perspective.

I would consider from the Celtics side.... Rondo won't be back until at least February2014 and if we get Lowry now we could still be contender and we could still mmake other moves. A core of Lowery, Gay, Bradley, Melo and Sullinger  would be a good start for the future.

[Fafnir]

Would Toronto trade Lowry for Rondo with injury? I would do that deal.

Probably not.

I wouldn't do it from either teams perspective.

I would consider from the Celtics side.... Rondo won't be back until at least February2014 and if we get Lowry now we could still be contender and we could still mmake other moves. A core of Lowery, Gay, Bradley, Melo and Sullinger  would be a good start for the future.

I'm leary of Lowry, he's burnt bridges with three franchises now.

Additionally Rondo's the best player, even if he's injuried for the next 8-12 months.

[LooseCannon]

He was just on weei and said he doesn't think the c's plan on making any big changes. He said they will just keep the team together and hope for the best. Says they can still make moves in the off-season if need be .

He would seem to be in the know since he works for the organization , but to me PP is a very moveable piece that could get backat least a pick and expiring contract. No way the c's pick up his 16 mil option next year anyways , so IMO this is PP's last season with the club .

Hope Flip is wrong about this one ....

Why wouldnt they pick up his option? Make a new less money deal?

If we cut Pierce, we won't be able to use Bird Rights to re-sign him, so he'd basically be gone.

The Celts have to pay him $5 million regardless, so it comes down to whether he's worth $10 million to have him play.  I've got to think that he is.

I'm not sure if that's true, correct me if I'm wrong... this is only true if we renounce our rights, and he doesn't pass waivers, or he goes to another team.

As I understand it, we can turn down the option, and resign him to a new deal, no? While still retaining his Bird Rights.

Pierce doesn't have an option.  He has a $15.3 million contract, of which only $5 million is guaranteed if he's cut by July 1.  Therefore, to get out of the $10 million, we'd have to formally waive him.  Once waived, we lose his Bird rights.

No we don't. We don't lose Bird Rights by waiving a player. We lose a our rights if he doesn't pass waivers (since he goes to another team) or if he signs with another team after being waved.

Now, I don't know what rules are in place to re-acquire a player after being waived, but the gist of what I'm saying is that the act of waiving a player doesn't mean losing Bird Rights.

For example, we waived Joseph this year... as I understand it, we could've re-signed him again to a new contract soon after.

You lose Bird Rights to Pierce in that you must use cap space or an exception (including the veteran's minimum exception) to sign him after waiving him.  However, you would still have his Bird Rights after that new contract expires, if he doesn't sign with another team in-between.

I see Ainge as unlikely to do a trade that involves Garnett, Rondo, Sullinger, Bradley, Green (more because I don't think his contract can be moved easily than because he is over-valued), or Pierce because I don't think he gets the value he would want for those players.

[SHAQATTACK]

Trading off  Pierce or KG is wrong on so many levels..........  For the good of theCeltics name I think they should stay.

Rondo didn't die he'll be bak one day ...Flip is right no need to go over the deep end. And sell off the best players

[pearljammer10]

No way do I trade Rondo for Lowry. and Rondo out til at least Feb 2014? Would it be that long? I thought it was more around 9 - 10 months depending on rehab and recovery time.

[Fafnir]

No way do I trade Rondo for Lowry. and Rondo out til at least Feb 2014? Would it be that long? I thought it was more around 9 - 10 months depending on rehab and recovery time.

8 to 12 months is roughly standard for ACL injuries.

[TAllen]

Highly unlikely the C's trade Pierce.  The value you can get in return for him is minimal and they aren't going to trade a guy who deserves to retire a Celtic for Average returns.  I hope they play the season out as is or with a small move and see what we have now for the future.  I like this team still and hope to pull a playoff upset.

[Roy H.]

Budweiser, you lose Bird Rights to Pierce if you waive him, because he would not have completed the last year of his contract. See http://cbafaq.com #32. As LC said, we could only sign him with cap space or an exception.

[fairweatherfan]

No way do I trade Rondo for Lowry. and Rondo out til at least Feb 2014? Would it be that long? I thought it was more around 9 - 10 months depending on rehab and recovery time.

8 to 12 months is roughly standard for ACL injuries.

Seems to be more toward the low end of that range these days - Shumpert and Rose both blew out their ACLs 9 months ago today.  Shumpert's been back for a couple weeks and Rose is on his way, probably could play now if they weren't being cautious.  And both of their injuries were probably more severe than Rajon's, since Rondo was able to keep moving and playing afterward.

Wouldn't surprise me to see Rondo be ready for the start of the season.

[BballTim]

Danny to mouthpiece "put it out that we're not making any moves so we can try to spin this and get some leverage back."

Yeah Danny is going to be the one getting lowballed like crazy now.

  I don't know that he is. If, for instance, Doc and Rondo had a huge fight and Danny had to trade Rondo he'd get lowballed. KG and PP (to name two) aren't damaged goods at all. If (for example) the Thunder wanted KG and they knew Danny was trading him they'd have to be very concerned that KG could end up on the Spurs or the Clips.

[Fafnir]

I'm hopeful that what you say will bare out fwf, Rondo clearly didn't do as much damage to the rest of his knee compared to Rose/Shumpert. But everyone's body reacts differently.

[BballTim]

If the plan truly is just to pack it in for the season and wait until the off-season to make significant moves, we can pretty much just hit the snooze button on the rest of the season / playoffs and wake up for the draft.  The team may still be competitive in the regular season, but no Rondo in the playoffs means they are toast. 

How many playoffs series would they have won in the past few seasons without Rondo?  Seriously?

I think the last one is probably the Miami series in the first round in 2010.  Maybe the Knicks in 2011, too.

The difference is that previously we didn't have an assemble of Terry, Lee, Barbosa behind Rondo to fill in.

  I think you'd have a hard time arguing that our current backcourt is better than 2010-2011 Rondo and Ray, or even close to as good.

[pearljammer10]

No way do I trade Rondo for Lowry. and Rondo out til at least Feb 2014? Would it be that long? I thought it was more around 9 - 10 months depending on rehab and recovery time.

8 to 12 months is roughly standard for ACL injuries.

Seems to be more toward the low end of that range these days - Shumpert and Rose both blew out their ACLs 9 months ago today.  Shumpert's been back for a couple weeks and Rose is on his way, probably could play now if they weren't being cautious.  And both of their injuries were probably more severe than Rajon's, since Rondo was able to keep moving and playing afterward.

Wouldn't surprise me to see Rondo be ready for the start of the season.

I was basing my timetable off of Rose. I forgot about Shumpert. Rose went down bad, you could tell something popped with him, I am too hoping that Rondos wasnt as severe and am hopeful we could see him back in light practices for preseason.

[alley oop]

Flip Sauuders was an advisor to the Celtics during the playoffs. I haven’t read of him “advising” them since.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Budweiser, you lose Bird Rights to Pierce if you waive him, because he would not have completed the last year of his contract. See http://cbafaq.com #32. As LC said, we could only sign him with cap space or an exception.

It's a tricky situation. To be fair, that question is about gaining Bird Rights, not losing them. So I wonder if the Pierce situation is a bit of a loop hole. For example, Pierce would have essentially finished the prior season with the Celtics, and waived even before free-agency begins...

Further in that question:

"Once Bird rights are established, they don't go away unless the player is renounced or signs with another NBA team."

Since Pierce wouldn't be renounced, or signed by another team... he doesn't lose his Bird Rights, something he had already gained.