Boston Celtics Rumors: Why Danny Ainge Won't Have Courage to Move the Big 3

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has been known to have the courage to take a risk or two as the trade deadline approaches.

Some work out. Some don't.

Last season's gamble by trading Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City in exchange for Jeff Green didn't exactly work out the way Ainge has planned.

This season, Ainge has a lot on his plate as he's shopping not only his Big Three in Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, but also point guard Rajon Rondo.

However, Ainge won't have the courage to move either of the four this season.

He won't need the courage because those guys aren't going anywhere.

Quite simply, it will be a slow deadline across the NBA and the offers won't be there for Ainge to consider making a move.

Sure, it would be nice for Ainge to bring in a Josh Smith, someone who he's targeted, or another big piece of the future, but teams aren't going to pony up those type of packages.

Plus it would take much more than Allen or Garnett's contract to acquire a guy the caliber of Smith.

Dealing Garnett or Allen would be tough to begin with.

They aren't going to get a young star for either expiring contract and as CSNNE.com's Sean Grande reported over the weekend, first-round picks are being valued across the league and teams aren't willing to deal them for a couple-month rental for an expiring deal.

As far as Pierce, there's no possible trade partner out there that could both afford to take on the over $32 million Pierce has remaining on his contract and offer up the package of young players and picks necessary to make a deal.

The same goes for Rondo.

It will take a huge offer to pry Rondo away and that's not very likely to come in by Thursday.

If Ainge doesn't get the offer he wants, which seems very unlikely, he's not going to simply make a deal for the sake's of making one.

Allen and Garnett have value to the Celtics when their contracts come off the books next season. They could do much worse then having Rondo and Pierce in uniform next season.

This season Ainge won't be courageous and roll the dice. The Celtics aren't contenders where one addition could make a difference.

This year, the offers really won't be there for him to consider.