Report: Boston getting calls asking about Paul Pierce

Can you picture Paul Pierce in any other uniform than Boston green?

It seems weird. But Celtics fans are starting to try, they taking to message boards and asking the big question:

Is it time to blow up the Celtics and rebuild?

This team has lost five in a row, has fallen to 4-8, and in their loss to Oklahoma City Monday it was clear they were not as athletic, as deep, as talented or as good. OKC is what a contender looks like. Is it time for Boston to start trading everyone not named Rajon Rondo and rebuild from the ground up.

Other teams are wondering if Boston is considering that, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo.

Does ownership and general manager Danny Ainge go for the complete rebuild and trade Pierce before the March 15 deadline? Several contending teams have inquired about Pierce’s availability. As one Eastern Conference official said, there are “lots of calls asking if [Boston] will blow it up.”

Last summer Boston made the conscious decision to make one more run with this group, but it may be one run too many. General Manager Danny Ainge has long wanted to break up these Celtics too early rather than hang on too long (what he saw as the big mistake after the 1080s teams that he played on).

Would he really do it? Maybe. He traded Kendrick Perkins and did not bring back Tony Allen. He’ll make hard decisions. And there would be trade value for the big three right now.

Ray Allen is playing well (shooting 51.3 percent), is in the last year of his deal and fits in just about any system — there would be multiple offers for him that gets Boston picks or young players. Garnett is also in the last year of his deal and would draw interest. Pierce is stickier — he has this season plus $15.3 million for next season remaining on his deal. He is playing better as he rounds into shape, he played well last season, but is another team going to take on that much salary for an aging player with question marks?

Boston is not going to make a move soon, it would be closer to the All-Star Game or trade deadline. These Celtics are not a 4-8 team and as they keep improving things will get better — but this is not a contender in the best of circumstances. But there are contenders or teams on the fringe that would have interest in the big three.

It seems the hard thing to do, to break up the best Celtics core in a while. But it’s going to happen in the next year or so one way or another. Is it better to jump start the process, even if you have to see Paul Pierce in another color? Maybe it is.