Pierce Nearly Delt In 05 To Blazers For 1st Rd Pick

[threrf23]

I remember that draft. In the months preceding, there were a number of posters on this board who were pleading for DA to trade PP for the #3 pick so that we could draft....guess who? Our friend Gerald Green.

I went to try and pull up one such thread on the subject, but unfortunately it seems board archives only go back to fall/winter 2005.

[Datruth345]

i was always under the impression ainge wanted chris paul

[wetsthebed]

Why is this news? We all knew this happened on draft night.

I've never heard Williams though, I thought it was for Chris Paul. I wonder if that's just speculation.

[Fencer reregistered]

The Chris Paul stories were based on what the Celts leaked at the time.

We don't know know whether that was smokescreens then or this is sloppy reporting now.

[celticOCD]

All the rumors at the time identified Chris Paul as the guy, and there were interviews with Ainge early in Paul's rookie season where Ainge gushed about him and at least implied if not outright stated the Celtics had coveted him.

[grantlongforpresident]

oh man, don't remind me.

this was back when ainge had NO CLUE what was going on.

Back when he was trading for Cripples with long-term contracts, giving up 1st round picks for a 1/2 year Walker rental, signing Blount to a long term contract. Googs could save us.

If it weren't for Big Al. Ainge would be long gone.

Trading Pierce for an unproven player was going to be his next big move. ugg. thank goodness that didn't happen.

no garnett, no big three, no championship hopes, no best record in league. just more potential.

[AlCelticFan]

More Chris Paul. That would be a wonderful thing.

[tlee324]

Ainge was doing many things; getting younger players, also looking for the big contracts and tradeable contracts to match an all-star veteran contract. During the losing, Pierce was looking to see if maybe he belonged on another team, and he had the right to do so. If Ainge was looking to see if he could get a stud young PG like Williams or Paul, then what's the big deal? That throws out the fact that he was looking for an all-star veteran like a KG? Pierce stayed the course, and so did Ainge, fortunately.

[captain_cheapseats]

Woulda, shoulda coulda. Who cares! We have the best team in the league now. Does anyone think we would have the best team in the league and a great chance to win a championship had Paul been traded? Hell no!

I LOVE the team we have and couldn't care less what "could have been", especially given the situation the Celtics are in now. Why would anyone want to dream about any different scenario?

It's not so much about "dreaming" of a different team as it is that some people are capable of/enjoy abstract thought. Every speculative post there are always at least three people who say "things now are awesome!!!!! stop thinking!!!!!" But what you guys don't get is that for some people hypotheticals are a fun kind of thought experiment, and not just a means of bashing the current team.

[JahReid]

This is old news. It was all over this board at the time, rumors of Pierce for a top 5 pick, presumably Chris Paul for Paul Peirce. Somebody is just trying to stir up some controversy in the media. Distract the best team in the league.

[avi623]

This is old news, and it was DEFINITELY for Chris Paul, not Deron Williams. In fact, Utah was one of the few teams rating Deron above CP3.

An you know what, I'm probably the only guy on this board who still would have made that trade then, and would certainly make it now. I love PP, but CP3 is a legitimate MVP this year, especially if Nash could win two in a row. Statistically, we are looking at one of the best seasons a point guard has had ever. And he is doing it for one of the best teams in the league, with an average supporting cast.

Now i do understand that if we had made that trade in '05, everything would have played out differently and we would not have Ray, KG, and the best record in the league, so everything happens for a reason.