Take a deep breath basketball fans, the next blockbuster trade rumor has surfaced. The Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics are two teams attempting to improve their rosters with little wiggle room financially. The only option is to orchestrate trades. The Nets have proven they do not shy away from making bold moves and the Celtics are in desperate need to rebuild a team that is slowly falling apart. As a result, the two teams are discussing a trade that would send both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett packing their bags for Brooklyn.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Celtics and Nets are discussing a blockbuster trade. Brooklyn would get Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. In return, the Celtics would get Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, Tornike Shengelia and three (THREE!) first-round picks in future drafts. Take a second to let all of that soak in.
The trade makes sense and also seems crazy in a number of ways. Brooklyn owner Mikhail Prokhorov loves big moves. He traded for Deron Williams. He signed Joe Johnson. He hired newly-retired NBA player Jason Kidd as head coach. However, this trade feels more risky than others. The Nets are looking to contend for a championship sooner rather than later. They are thinking short-term instead of long-term. They would essentially be forgoing on their future in order to sign two aging veterans to contribute right away. If the trade happens, Brooklyn's starting five would Williams, Johnson, Brook Lopez, Garnett and Pierce. On paper, that looks great.
Boston has been trying to figure out what to do with both Garnett and Pierce. Trades and contract buyouts have been surrounding the two players lately. It is clear the Celtics are ready to move on. Getting three (say it again, three) first-round draft picks would certainly help in their rebuilding efforts. Humphries can give quality points off the bench, as can Wallace. Both were rebounding machines last season.
Boston has made similar trades like this in the past. Most recently when the assembled Ray Allen and Garnett into the lineup where they won a championship as a result. This trade is far from guaranteed, but it is not as crazy as it first reads when considering the past history of both teams and what they are looking to do in the future.
