Boston Celtics Trade Rumors: Rebuilding Has to Begin Immediately

The Boston Celtics are playing in quicksand, and it's time to get out of it by trading away the same core of players that has give this city so much joy. 

Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski was on NBC’s SportsTalk on Tuesday to discuss the Celtics and whether they would really hit the eject button on the biggest names on their roster. The answer was invariably, yes. 

Audio can be heard here. 

Wojnarowski issued that either Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett or Paul Pierce could be traded, and Pierce would be the most likely. 

We should point out that ESPN's Chad Ford sees things just a tad bit differently in his chat session.

"

I think Ainge would prefer to trade: Rondo, Allen, and KG in that order before Pierce. But Danny won't hesitate to pull the trigger if he can. Remember, he went through several miserable years of rebuilding from scratch. He doesn't want to go back to that place and frankly the Celtics are like a season and a half away from there.  

"

The question has to be whether you truly believe this team can win the championship as currently constructed. Even if that is a half-hearted maybe, you have realize that this core is no better off next year with another season on these aging legs. 

The Celtics beat the Bucks on Wednesday, pulling them to 17-17 on the year—hardly the mark of a team with a title in their sights. 

They sit at seventh in the Eastern Conference and will have to face an arduous playoff push with elderly legs. 

Garnett and Allen will be gone anyway. If you can't pull the trigger on a deal with a team willing to rent their experience, the logical players to send off are Rondo and Paul. 

If you keep one of those two All-Star players, you instantly have a team with a bona fide leader and some youthful talent that can actually begin to make progress in the next season or two. 

If they are left stagnant, they lose Garnett and Allen and gamble on a free-agent class that is no guarantee to deliver a star talent. 

This is not a franchise that can afford to sit in mediocrity for long. The call must be to reload for another championship run with either Rondo or Pierce. 

Follow @gabezal