What if...

We didn't trade for Ray Allen, but instead traded Pierce to Charlotte?

Boston: Pierce, Scal
Charlotte: 8th pick, 22nd pick, Brevin Knight

5th pick: Corey Brewer
8th pick: Al Thornton
22nd pick: Tiago Splitter
32nd pick: Gabe Pruitt

It seems possible that these would have been Ainge's picks. He liked Brewer and Thornton a lot. Pruitt was actually picked by him. Splitter is the only question I have, but I expect that he would have taken someone at 22 that he wouldn't expect to bring to the team. Rudy Fernandez, IMO, would have been the other logical choice.

Celts lineup would be:
PG: Rondo, Knight, Telfair, Pruitt
SG: Brewer, Allen, West
SF: Wally, Green
PF: Thornton, Gomes, Powe
C: Jefferson, Perkins, Ratliff

Splitter or Fernandez in Europe for this year.

Perhaps later in the summer they would look to trade for a veteran big like Marcus Camby. A two part trade with the trade exception they get from Charlotte and a second round pick for Camby in one trade and then Gerald Green, West, and Telfair for Najera in the other.

Celts lineup would be:
PG: Rondo, Knight, Pruitt
SG: Brewer, Allen
SF: Thornton, Wally
PF: Jefferson, Gomes, Powe
C: Camby, Perkins, Ratliff

Well it would have helped us out bigtime salary capwise, but with all the youth and no real veteran presence there's a good chance Celtic's fans would have been talking lottery picks for a few years.

I wouldn't mind that, but I also don't think that team would be too bad. W/O the Camby trade, that would be a high scoring fast breaking team. There might be some defense issues but nothing terrible. I could still see them getting 40 to 45 wins and improving for next year just on experience and chemistry. It seems like the ideal group for Rondo to play with. W/ the Camby trade, they would have a tougher time scoring with that lineup but have a more balanced overall lineup. I would guess around 35 wins, but I would still find them fun to watch. Perhaps next year they would get Hibbert in the draft and also add Splitter from Europe. Hibbert, Splitter, Jefferson, Camby, and Perkins would be a very good group of bigs to go with Rondo, Pruitt, another year of Wally, Allen if re-signed, Brewer, Thornton, Powe, and Gomes if re-signed.