The Boston Celtics showed last season that they are just a few moves away from becoming a contender again. General manager Danny Ainge started moving in the right direction by making the long awaited move of dumping Rajon Rondo. He was sent to the Dallas Mavericks for Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson and picks. Crowder fell out of Dallas’ rotation and was a surprisingly resourceful addition to their unexpected playoff run. Boston was able to use Wright in a package to acquire Isaiah Thomas from the Phoenix Suns who went on to become the team’s leading scorer off the bench. Thomas was a godsend for Boston, and that was great trade by Ainge which will pay huge dividends as Thomas appears to be happy playing there.

Many have criticized Ainge for his strategy. “So what if he has all those draft picks, all of those guys could be busts anyway!” There is certainly a point to be made there. You can have all the draft picks you want, but when it comes down to it, the draft really is a crap shoot. It was time for Ainge and the Celtics to step up and make a move, like they did when they traded coveted future star Al Jefferson for Kevin Garnett.

According to Bleacher Report, the Celtics traded seldom used forward Gerald Wallace to the Golden State Warriors for former All-Star David Lee. It is a great trade. The Celtics have been sellers for so long it makes sense for them to be buyers again.

They have young talent: Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynk, Tyler Zeller, Amir Johnson and Avery Bradley. They have plenty of cap space for next summer, and they have a leader in Brad Stevens who is already regarded as one of the better coaches in the league. Lee, as a proficient passer and ball handler, will fit in well with Stevens’ offense in which he allows players to read the defense and react.

The Celtics didn’t trade for Lee to help them win games. They traded for him to help them win playoff games. In the weak Eastern Conference, almost every team must feel like it is their time. The difference is the Celtics went out and did something about it.

Chipper Murphy is a Beat Writer for the New York Knicks on www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChipperMurphy, “Like” him on Facebook.