and...how, exactly, do you trade guys like Pierce & KG who are still producing big time and bleed green?
Personally, I wouldn't if I was a GM. I might talk to them if they'd be interested in a trade and to where if they felt that spot was a place they wanted to go because they thought they couldn't contend here...
If they said, no I'd just keep them and try to give them as much ammo as possible.
With a young core of:
Rondo, Bradley, Lee, Green, Sully, Bass and Melo, probably a high draft pick or two over a couple down years and then the cap space available once KG and Pierce do retire - any good GM can rebuild that team fairly quickly.
I think if we can somehow fanagle a Dalembert level center by the trade deadline, this team could have as good a chance as anyone else in the east to get to the finals.