perkisabeast.com Blog

Mark Murphy says its all over.

“…A league source just confirmed that the Celtics and Timberwolves have finalized a deal that will bring Kevin Garnett to Boston in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and two first round draft picks.

Garnett is expected to arrive in Boston this afternoon for a physical.
Garnett has agreed to a three-year extension with the Celtics beyond the two remaining on his contract, guaranteeing that he will be a Celtic for the next five years.

One reason for prolonged negotiations was the Celtics’ attempt to lessen the luxury tax hit this team will take next year, with Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen scheduled to earn a combined $54.4 million - the highest of any three-player combo in the NBA.

This will involve finding a way to lessen the impact of a 15 percent trade kicker in Garnett’s contract…”

Some of our favorite Big Al shots…See you later buddy.

First off, you have to be crazy to trade Al Jefferson at 22. Let’s just get that out of the way right now. And this trade will come back to haunt the Boston Celtics the same way Joe Johnson and Chauncey Billups, have tortured fans for years with their superb performances. Impossible, you say. Well, just wait three years when we’re the Miami Heat and Al Jefferson is making his third appearance in the All Star game as the latest 20 and 10 guy.

That being said, this (reported) trade goes a long way towards putting the Celtics on the path towards banner 17. Give Danny Ainge credit for this, he took three guys who were the number one options on bad teams and gave them all a chance to finally show what they can do. If Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett aren’t hungry to win a title then I don’t know who is. Then again, remember that unstoppable Laker team of 2004? They were pretty hungry too. That is until Karl Malone and Gary Payton broke down in the Finals and the underdog Pistons smoked them in five games.

Let’s look at some other types of these big name deals and how the teams that traded for them fared:

• A 30-year-old Charles Barkley is traded to the Phoenix Suns before the 92-93 season. He wins the MVP award, and the team loses in six games to the Chicago Bulls. He plays seven more seasons but never plays a full 82 games again.

• The Miami Heat trade away two young all stars and a washed up Brian Grant to the Lakers for 32-year-old Shaquille O’Neal. The Heat go to the Finals twice, winning one in 2005. He has yet to play 82 games for the Heat.

• A 33-year-old Charles Barkley is traded to the Houston Rockets for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, Chucky Brown, and Mark Bryant. The team never made the Finals despite having Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and later Scottie Pippen. Barkley played parts of four seasons before suffering a catastrophic knee injury. He never won a ring.

• At 33, Bill Walton is traded to the Celtics for Cedric Maxwell in 1985. He plays 80 games and becomes the sixth man on one of the greatest teams of all time. Walton wins a bookend title for his career, but only plays 10 games the next season before retiring. Cedric Maxwell plays three more unremarkable seasons before retiring.

With this limited sample you see that these trades are never a guarantee of championship glory, but they can work if the supporting cast is strong enough. Personally, I think the Celtics have a good enough supporting team to get to the Finals, but I still worry about being able to beat the Spurs or the Mavericks in a seven game series.

Danny still has some work to do if he wants to win it in the next two years. The team needs to sign a backup point guard and another big man cheap—good luck. Otherwise, this move is just glorified window dressing.

One thing is certain, May 22nd is a day that changed the course of this franchise forever. Let’s hope that change is winning a title, not betting the house and losing.

Then again there’s always the draft lottery in 2010 to look forward too.

It’s almost complete

The worst trade in the history of the Boston Celtics is coming. Call it the anti Parish/Mchale for Joe Barry Carroll trade. Call it Hershell Walker part two. Call it whatever you want, except good for the Boston Celtics.

This is a disaster of epic proportions for the Boston Celtics and the smart fans should know it. Even if right now they’re having failed delusions of grandeur.

They know it because you don’t trade a 22-year-old big man stud for a 31-year-old of similar (and declining) skills. And we’re not even talking about the four other quality players and draft picks we sent along with him. Oh, plus that little matter of $7 million in cash that is the Garnett trade kicker, which the Celtics will have to pay to acquire him. Imagine that, the Celtics just agreed to pay a guy $7 million IN CASH, just to trade for him….A guy who has won two, just TWO, playoff series in his entire career.

A fool and his money Mr. Grousbeck are soon parted. If you’re so anxious to piss it away I have a list of charities that could use it.

Yes, the team will win more games in the short run, maybe even a tic