(Image source: Boston Globe)

BY ANDREW WILSON AND JJ BAILEY
ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

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The Big Three could be priced to own. Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge announced he is open to shopping Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce around, if it can improve the wilting squad. The Boston Globe has more on his statement.

“Ainge said he has loyalty to his roster and is willing to give his veterans more than this brief window to prove themselves, but he won’t allow them to age and decline drastically the way Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish did in the early 1990s.”

Understandably, the comments have set off a fiery debate in the basketball world. Even at the Boston Globe. Columnist Greg Finn says the move is too soon, citing money concerns.

“Trading Garnett and Allen makes absolutely no sense in the big picture if for no other reason than the massive salary cap space they will leave behind when their contracts expire after this season.”

But in the NBA, performance is measured in wins and losses. And the listless Celtics have yet to beat a team over .500, and only snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Raptors Wednesday night. But this was evident at the end of last season. Here’s ESPN Boston’s video of Ainge’s concerns last May.

“We just need to get talent, more talent, you know scoring droughts have been a problem that we’ve had the last couple of years.”

And a writer for Bleacher Report says Ainge didn’t do nearly enough to fix those problems. He argues failing to get Chris Paul, trading Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson for two non-factors, and dropping the ball on getting another big body up front should have put Ainge in the spotlight, not his veteran players.

“Ainge brought this team together and he should be responsible for their successes and failures. … Now that the Celtics are 5-8 and facing the real probability of missing the playoffs, Ainge must be [the] answer for his preseason carelessness. … Allowing him to blow up the foundation that brought Boston their first championship since 1986 isn’t acceptable.”

But Ainge isn’t standing alone in his argument. ESPN’s Tim Legler says it may be hard to hear for the fans, but this Beantown bunch may be over the hill.

“This is a team that looks like they’ve gone the wrong direction. They’ve gone over that hill and it’s time to start thinking about breaking it up and seeing what you can get in return so you can have another run of four or five years by reloading with young players and draft picks.”

And even in Boston, some writers are resigning themselves to possible deal speculation. According to a Celtics Blog writer, maybe there is a silver lining in trading a part of the trio.

“If you look at Pierce as an asset, you are not going to get a better return for him than you could in the next month. Better to trade a guy a half a year early than too late. He's one of very few trade assets that we have that could actually bring something worthwhile in return (draft picks for example).”

The Celtics face their first opponents after the announcement on Friday, when they face off against the Suns at home.

Transcript by Newsy.