NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics Should Trade Paul Pierce While They Still Can

The idea of the Boston Celtics trading Paul Pierce, who still has two years left on his contract, seemed insane entering this season.

Then the Celts started the season 4-8.

Now, what used to be the original "Big Three" could be separated in a couple of months time. Both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen's contracts are expiring, so there could be some contenders out there that are more than interested for a half-season rental. 

At this point, the Celtics are no longer in that "contender" group, so trading Garnett and Allen is a no-brainer. But Pierce, too?

Well, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo!, teams are asking.

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"Does ownership and general manager Danny Ainge go for the complete rebuild and trade Pierce before the March 15 deadline? Several contending teams have inquired about Pierce’s availability. As one Eastern Conference official said, there are 'lots of calls asking if [Boston] will blow it up.'"

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My advice to the Celtics: Blow it up.

Completely.

For sake of argument, let's say this season is lost (and it is) and set the Celtics' goal is to compete for next year (a lofty goal, but realistic the way things work in the NBA).

Garnett and Allen are going to be gone, clearly, and they will free up a lot of space for Boston to make a splash in free agency. With the open cap space, a run at two solid or major free agents wouldn't be out of the question.

But it's unlikely the Celts grab a big name like Dwight Howard or Deron Williams, so getting two or three solid players is likely.

Here's the problem with that. If you want to compete, you're going to have to surround those new role players with an All-Star or two.

Point guard Rajon Rondo fits that bill, but Paul Pierce no longer does. He's averaging a career-low 15.7 points per game and shooting an anemic 39 percent from the field.

He is no longer a star.

Rondo and a bunch of role-players would not be able to compete for a title. So, Boston has to trade Pierce to a contender now, while they can still get some value for him.

Trade him for a couple more expiring contracts and really make a splash in the offseason. If they continue to blow everything up, Boston might just have a shot at two big-time players in free agency. 

As sad as it is, that's how you're going to compete in the NBA today.

For the Celtics, they only have a "Big One" and that doesn't include Garnett, Allen or Pierce. It's time to move on.