The Nets Go Green: Good or Bad Decision?

By - Jaquan Murphy

First, the Boston Celtics shipped Doc Rivers off. Now they've sent the face of their franchise, Paul Pierce, and their unquestioned vocal leader, Kevin Garnett, to the Brooklyn Nets for a plethora of players and draft picks.

Photo by: Barton Silverman

In return for two of the most iconic figures in franchise history, the Celtics received Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans and three future first round picks. The Nets also acquired Jason Terry in the deal.

While Boston gets to rebuild and Brooklyn added two future Hall of Famers to complement their three All-Stars, the question remains; was this a good trade?

For the Celtics, yes, because they gained both assets and picks. Brooks has the ability to create for himself and contribute on the offensive end. Humphries will help out on the boards and Bogans and Wallace will provide defense. Boston also acquired multiple future draft picks to help in the rebuilding process. They can use these picks outright, or package them for additional picks or players in trades.

The Celtics played the rebuilding game to perfection with the Nets. They found a contender desperate enough to overspend to acquire game-changing talent.

On the other hand, this trade may not be as good as it looks for Brooklyn. Their starting five have all been All-Stars, but how will it play out on the court? Obviously the offense will go through Deron Williams, but who will be their go-to guy? Who will get more touches down low? Will Paul Pierce accept a lesser role? This squad has the potential to be either really good, or a repeat of last season's Los Angeles Lakers.

Another question is can they stay healthy? Granted, health is a concern for every team, but it becomes a greater worry when four of your five starters are over 30 or have had injuries in the past. How will first-year head coach Jason Kidd manage their minutes to keep them healthy, and if one goes down, how will he be replaced?

The final red flag to this deal; where is the depth? When the starters need a rest, where are the points coming from? By the looks of it, mostly journeymen and unproven young players. As minutes and injuries add up, look for the effectiveness of the starters to go down simply because there is little bench help.

So perhaps now is the time to be excited, Brooklyn fans. Once the season starts, this trade may work out better for people who play with the Nets on NBA 2K14 than the actual team itself.