Celtics Trade Proposal

The Red Sox are 11 games ahead (going into tonight's game at Texas) of the fading Yankees and still I think about the Celtics. Hopefully this addiction to the hopeless will get me into heaven at some point in time. Anyways, as I mull the future of the C's without Greg Oden and Kevin Durant I become torn over whether to hold on to the No. 5 pick or to package the pick and get a veteran in return who could help Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson. I'm starting to think that gambling on Yi Jianlian may not be so bad. It can't be worse than gambling on any veteran that Danny Ainge brings into Boston. Maybe Jianlian is the missing piece to the puzzle and he teams with Pierce and Jefferson over the next 3-4 years in building a winner in Boston. But that stuff can wait until June 28. Right now I want to propose a trade that does work financially. Boston sends the No. 5 pick in the 2007 Draft, Kendrick Perkins, Ryan Gomes and Theo Ratliff to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and the No. 24 pick in the 2007 Draft. Phoenix has a problem that the C's can help solve and benefit in the process. Shawn Marion skills tend to conflict with those of first team All-NBA center Amare Stoudemire. He also makes a lot of cash (roughly $15 million), something Suns owner Robert Sarver would like to take care of so he can avoid paying the luxury tax. In this trade, Phoenix does send away an All-Star forward but in return they get the chance at drafting a young star for the future with the fifth pick, a physical center who can rebound and defend in Perkins, a young versatile forward for their bench in Gomes and the expiring contract of Ratliff. In return, the Celtics get a proven star who can immediately help their team as well as a late first round pick, something Ainge has had success with (Delonte West, Tony Allen). If this trade were to go through, the 07-08 Celtics could look like this: C - Al Jefferson PF - Shawn Marion SF - Paul Pierce SG - Wally Szczerbiak PG - Delonte West BENCH: Rajon Rondo (PG), Tony Allen (SG/SF), Gerald Green (SG/SF), Brian Scalabrine (PF), Leon Powe (PF/C) The No. 24 pick, the No. 32 (second round) and free agency would fill out the roster. The big question for Ainge and the Celtics is, by adding a veteran All-Star like Marion, are you really closer to an NBA Championship? I don't think so. I say keep the pick and roll the dice. Mediocrity isn't an option anymore. If they hold onto the pick and take Jianlian, here would be the team: C - Kendrick Perkins PF - Al Jefferson SF - Paul Pierce SG - Wally Szczerbiak PG - Delonte West BENCH: Rajon Rondo (PG), Tony Allen (SG/SF), Ryan Gomes (SF/PF), Gerald Green (SG/SF), Yi Jianlian (PF/C), Brian Scalabrine (PF), Leon Powe (PF/C) It may not be a championship team in 2008 or 2009 but that roster gives me more hope than the one with Marion on it.