NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics Need to Face 'The Truth' and Trade Paul Pierce

With the Boston Celtics' championship window slammed shut, it is time for them to take the bold step of trading Paul Pierce. 

The Celtics are just 4-8 on the season, and they show little signs of hope that they will be able to turn it around. 

It is time for them to face the music, and facilitate their rebuilding process by getting some value out of their aging stars. 

I am certainly not the only one who has come to this realization. 

The Rumors

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports shares that Pierce is gaining interest on the market. 

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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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So far, there are no whispers that the Celtics are seriously entertaining these trade talks. And if they're not, they should be. 

Brave New World

The Celtics are at a crossroads.

They are no longer a championship-caliber team and aging centerpieces Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are on the last year of their deals. No matter what Boston decides to do with Pierce, they are going to have to reshape their team. 

If they are going to do something, they should do it right. Pierce is not at the point of his career where he can patiently wait for young players around him to mature while the Celtics build for the future. 

He is also on the books for $16.8 million next season and $15.3 million the following season. 

If the Celtics dumped Pierce for an expiring contract, they would likely have somewhere between $40-45 million in cap space next season. That is enough cash flow to add two max players to their roster.

And with Boston's storied history, and a pass-first point guard like Rajon Rondo, this shouldn't be a tough sell on free agents. 

It is certainly not out of the realm of possibility that the Celtics would be able to lure Dwight Howard if he hits the free-agent market. 

No matter what happened in free agency, the Celtics would be in a position of power. They would have the entire market to choose from. They would be able to target the players they wanted, and rebuild a team in the style they desire.