Rasheed says he will sign with the Celtics.

[Reality]

quote JoeV

Because the most important thing in attracting free agents is a culture of winning.  Having players on your team who are reasonably young, but still playoff-veterans, while maintaining a winning environment is exactly what you need to get a player like a Chris Paul or a Carmelo Anthony to bolt his team in favor of yours.

Give some examples of this happening in recent NBA history.
Gasol to the Lakers?   

[Joe Vancil]

Closest examples I can come to are Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady to Orlando, and Shaq, Payton, and Malone to Los Angeles.  After that, I get into older players who aren't exactly top-of-the-heap:  Finley to San An, for example.

Keep in mind that I don't think free agency works for getting star players to your team.  Free agent superstars stay with their own teams.

The argument here is, if you're a free-agent superstar, and want to win a title, do you go to the Mavericks, or the Thunder?  Neither have won, but the Mavericks have a culture of winning - even though the Thunder look like up-and-comers.  The superstar will consider the Mavericks.  The Thunder won't even get a visit.

Or if you're choosing between Detroit and Atlanta.  Atlanta was the better team this past year;  the superstar is more likely to go to Detroit, because they've got a history of winning, and players like Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton, who've been there before.  Atlanta will be rebuilding from now until doomsday.

[Reality]

Keep in mind that I don't think free agency works for getting star players to your team.  Free agent superstars stay with their own teams.

Then what's the point of?:

Having players on your team who are reasonably young, but still playoff-veterans, while maintaining a winning environment is exactly what you need to get a player like a Chris Paul or a Carmelo Anthony to bolt his team in favor of yours.

Shaq is the only one to come over and successfully title.  On a lesser note, you could throw in Finley, and if he would have (should have) bailed after 2007 I'd call that a success.

Thunder or Dallas.  Today I'd choose Thunder.  Sort of irrelevant at this point since no young star is going to either team.

Now Lebron and Wade bolting to the Knicks or Spurs, Supers teaming up to get on the same team.  That is something i do not understand has not happened a LOT more in NBA history.

[Joe Vancil]

The point is that if you're going to trade for a superstar - which is the more likely case - you have to keep that superstar from saying, "Don't even think about it.  I won't go there."

Keep in mind that Garnett nixed Boston when it was just going to be him and Pierce.

As for you going to the Thunder over the Mavericks, keep in mind that despite having a lot of young talent, the team is still a losing team, and still has to keep their players after their rookie contracts expire.  Is the team willing to spend to do that?  We don't know.  On the other hand, Cuban has shown he'll shell out big bucks if it keeps his team competitive (the Nash and Finley moves being the two exceptional examples of where he didn't).

I'd be a Maverick in a hot second before a Thunder.  My owner has big pockets, and is less likely to nickle-and-dime me.  And the Maverick's winning tradition since the Cuban takeover is much more well-established than OKC - which still has yet to win or lose a playoff game.

[Derek Bodner]

Closest examples I can come to are Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady to Orlando, and Shaq, Payton, and Malone to Los Angeles.  After that, I get into older players who aren't exactly top-of-the-heap:  Finley to San An, for example.

I don't put Rasheed into the "superstar trying to join a bunch of other superstars".  Sheed's more than content guarding the opponents best offensive player and being a role player.  That's why he was able to fit in so seamlessly with Detroit and elevate them, and why he's going to be a great fit with KG, Pierce and Allen.

[Lurker]

But back to the original point - by building up young assests, you've got sign-and-trade potential for the "second" superstar - the one you won't have the cap space to sign out-right.

This is how they got KG so it is amazing that Ainge becamew short sighted now.  And KG was brought Allen.

Rasheed doesn't really enhance "win now," and he hurts "win 5 years from now."  That's why I consider his signing a mistake for Boston.

Thus the need to spend their MLE on a wing.  Win now and if they spend wisely maybe a asset for the future.

[westkoast]

Closest examples I can come to are Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady to Orlando, and Shaq, Payton, and Malone to Los Angeles.  After that, I get into older players who aren't exactly top-of-the-heap:  Finley to San An, for example.

I don't put Rasheed into the "superstar trying to join a bunch of other superstars".  Sheed's more than content guarding the opponents best offensive player and being a role player.  That's why he was able to fit in so seamlessly with Detroit and elevate them, and why he's going to be a great fit with KG, Pierce and Allen.

This is pretty much how I see it as well.  I expect him to fit in well and help the Celtics much like he did Detroit.

Btw the chances of Rondo, Allen, PP, and KG leaving in the next few years is very high.  Let's not forget that Rondo is important to the Celtics and is very unhappy with them (vice versa as well it seems)

[Joe Vancil]

The chance of them leaving is very high...but NOT ALL AT ONCE.

As they go, if you're a smart team and have built capable backups in place and acquired helpful players to fill in behind them, instead of dropping from championship-contender to lottery, you drop from championship contender to veteran playoff team.  That's when you have a chance to acquire a superstar.

If Allen/Pierce/Garnett leave one at a time, you stand a chance of getting another top-notch player in with the remaining two.  When the next leaves, it's the remaining one plus the guy who just came in.

[westkoast]

The chance of them leaving is very high...but NOT ALL AT ONCE.

As they go, if you're a smart team and have built capable backups in place and acquired helpful players to fill in behind them, instead of dropping from championship-contender to lottery, you drop from championship contender to veteran playoff team.  That's when you have a chance to acquire a superstar.

If Allen/Pierce/Garnett leave one at a time, you stand a chance of getting another top-notch player in with the remaining two.  When the next leaves, it's the remaining one plus the guy who just came in.

Replacing 4 starting positions in 4 years is tough regardless.  Finding a top notch player, who would be able to fill the role of the top notch player they have on their way out, seems like an impossible task.  Rondo is gone after hes available for free agency.  No doubt in my mind about that based on what happened last season and this off season.  The other 3, due to age, have about 4 years to go (just a guestimation based on the typical retirement age in the NBA)