Boston Celtics Trade Rumors: Trading Paul Pierce Would Be a Catastrophic Move
Boston Celtics star forward Paul Pierce is reportedly drawing interest in the trade market from a few teams, but trading the captain would be a catastrophic mistake by Celtics general manager Danny Ainge.
Pierce is the Celtics' best all-around player who helps the team each night in several ways at both ends of the floor. He's one of the few players for Boston who has a contract for next season and has more value to the Celtics than another team.
Pierce is first on the Celtics in scoring, second in assists, second in steals and fourth in rebounding. He affects too many areas of the game to trade him without getting another all-around forward back in return.
Unlike veteran teammate Kevin Garnett, Pierce will still be an All-Star caliber player for another season or two, and is the youngest member of Boston's "Big Three."
Despite battling injuries and coming into the year a bit out of shape, Pierce is still averaging 17.5 points per game and shooting 83 percent from the foul line. He's had a solid season thus far and is so important to the Celtics' offense because he's the most complete scorer they have.
Unless Ainge is going to get a young player who can score in return for Pierce, which is unlikely given Pierce's age, then trading him makes absolutely no sense.
Even though this year's draft class is loaded with extraordinary talent, no team is going to part with a first-round pick for Pierce, who is only going to help a contender for another two or three seasons.
Another major reason not to trade Pierce is that he's a Boston legend and deserves to retire as a Celtics player.
I understand that Ainge needs to do what's best for the team and that holding onto the "Big Three" for too long is a bad idea, but Pierce is the one player on the Celtics who has to be kept.
His No. 34 jersey will be retired in the TD Garden rafters in the future. He is the pulse of the team, the leader and the captain. Since Pierce is still playing at a high level and is one of the team's best players ever, there is no reason to trade him.
Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo would have more value to playoff-contending teams anyway, so those two should be dealt before the team considers getting rid of Pierce.
Ainge isn't afraid to make bold trades, but parting with Pierce wouldn't just be bold—it would be stupid.
