The Boston Celtics finally found a trade that they felt comfortable making. The C's landed veteran all-star Ray Allen and the Sonics 2nd round 35th pick in exchange for the Celts 1st round 5th pick whom they selected forward Jeff Green for the Sonics out of Georgetown, as well as Delonte West and Wally Szezerbiak.
Allen who turns 32 next month is signed to a 3 year deal worth around $50 mil. He had ankle issues at the end of last season due to bone spurs which caused him to opt for surgery and shut his season down after scoring a career best 26 ppg average which included a 54 point night in January.
Szezerbiak still had 2 years remaining on his contract worth around $24 mil, while Delonte's time is coming soon for his first big payday as a free agent.
I am already reading and hearing alot of negativity against this deal in terms of the Celtics, but mark me down as one of its supporters. People are against Allen due to him aging and injury prone. Well what exactly is Szezerbiak??? Allen at least has shown he can be more durable than Wally when healthy. True Allen makes more money and one more year, but Allen is also a much better player than Wally. A lights-out, deadly outside shooter who should help Pierce immediately.
Losing Delonte hurts a bit as I did like and enjoy Delontes game and attitude and toughness, but we did have to give up something to get an all-star like my man Ray. The #5 pick we all knew the Celts were fine trading away. Once we had no chance at Oden or Durant in the #1-2 alots, the prospects from picks 3-15 or so were all so similar and a total crap shoot who will emerge as decent players and who will be busts. I did like Corey Brewer and was slightly intrigued by the China-man Yi, but trading away Jeff Green in that spot doesn't bother me much.
The biggest reason I like this trade is we kept Paul Pierce. We held onto Big Al Jefferson. We held onto Gerald Green even! Still have Rondo and Perk. And still have that all-important expiring contract of Theo Ratliff which could mean that the Celts possibly are not even finished dealing. Ainge still can pull off a big deal if he wants and can find the right one out there. By no means do I think the Celts are done with them holding onto Ratliff and that contract of his. So stay tuned and see what else Danny can do.
In the meantime, the Celts now have two 2nd round picks being their own at 32 and the Sonics at 35. They can still land two decent young talents there. Call me optimistic with this one, but I'm not buying what all those pessimistic people are selling yet. Let's give this a chance and see what else even transpires.
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