Countdown to the trade deadline - John Wall

December isn't just full of articles about trade rumors, it's also full of articles about trade suggestions.

Sometimes, some less-than-plausible rumors get started by such articles, and sometimes, there's a grain of wisdom buried underneath the clickbait, just waiting for the right fingers to type what more than a few NBA-savvy writers have been talking about - and that's more or less the situation with John Wall and the increasingly hot tire fire that is the Washington Wizards.


A month ago, there were (completely unsubstantiated) rumors floating around sites with less than stellar reputations as reliable sources of sports news connecting the Boston Celtics to a John Wall trade rumor that would have sent Isaiah Thomas and Jonas Jerebko to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a three-team deal which would have sent Wall to Boston. While the rumor was bogus, the sentiment behind it was not.

The Wizards, a year and a half removed from a failed Paul Pierce bucket in the Eastern Conference Semis that was the high-water mark for the team as currently constructed, have since ditched coach Randy Wittman for former Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks in a failed desperation move to entice Kevin Durant, and have yet to bring on any new talent since Otto Porter in the 2013 draft (unless you count Ian Mahinmi or Markieff Morris, which I do not). Worse, the bulk of their recent headlines stem not from winning, but from infighting over bench play to starter pay.

The situation looks bad at 6 - 12, and writers are doing their due diligence even if the Wizards' front office is not.

Rumblings began appearing in the first weeks of the season, and have grown loud enough to emanate from one of Boston's most notoriously vocal sports figures, Bill Simmons - and the consensus is growing:

The Wizards should consider blowing it up, getting what they can for Wall.


We all know Simmons has visions of Wall in green, which would not be that surprising even if his team was the Los Angeles Lakers, given the war chest of legends Danny Ainge has assembled - it almost seems like a requirement to include the Celts in any trade speculation piece just because of their wealth in that area. But then, the question remaining to be answered is:

Does a trade make sense?

This is where we turn to you, the reader, to plumb the depths of the Celtic hive mind; instead of regurgitating Trade Machine/"league sources" mashups, we ask you to respond to a Twitter poll on whether such a move is a wise one, and what you think would be fair to include in a trade package, plus any other thoughts you care to share in the comments.


So, as before - don't be shy! In about a day, we'll review and analyze your thoughts and suggestions on the possibility of a John-Wall-to-Boston trade, showcasing the more interesting proposals - and opinions - on the prospective deals you come up with. Answer the polls and leave some comments, and we'll see if maybe this bad situation in Washington could become the blockbuster move that not only gets us back into title contention, but also helps the Wizards shake off the funk that's been hanging over the organization since the Truth couldn't get them over the top.

For more stories about John Wall on Celticslife, click here. For more by Justin, click here.




Photo via Alex Brandon/Associated Press
Follow Justin at @justinquinnn
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