The 2011 NBA trade deadline came in like a lamb and went out like a lion for sure. What was thought to be a slow trade deadline ended with a flurry of deals being made. Now that the trades have been settled, teams will begin their annual process of shedding salary by orchestrating buyouts for their overpaid/under performing stars.

Teams have until March 1st to sign a waived player in order to have the player eligible for post season play. Just like the trade deadline, the buyout rumors are in full force.

Said Boston Celtics team president Danny Ainge: “Our team is still not whole, we started out great. We played great basketball with Shaq in the middle. I think it’ll be easier for Shaq to return in a starting position, which I think he has earned with his play this year.”

Let’s take a look at some of the rumors involving the Boston Celtics:

Troy Murphy: Murphy has been labeled as the prize of the 2011 buyout season. The versatile big men can bang down low and stretch the perimeter with his ability to shoot the ball. Last week it seemed like Murphy was a lock to join the Boston Celtics and we hear today that Golden State, who are pretty thin in the middle, may just hold onto him to strengthen their roster in hopes of landing a spot in the post season. If he is waived, the Celtics, Knicks, Lakers and Heat will look to sign him.

Leon Powe: Old friend Leon Powe got the buyout ball running by reaching an agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. Powe has listed Boston as his top choice and rumors have been circulating that the Lakers, Knicks and Grizzlies are also interested.

Mike Bibby: The veteran guard was sent to the Wizards for Kirk Hinrich and sources have Bibby upset over going from a contender in Atlanta to a pretender in Washington. Bibby would have to give up a lot of money, $6.4 million next season, in order to make this happen. If he is available, expect the Celtics, Heat, Trailblazers and Knicks to line up as potential suitors.

Jason Kapono: Kapono has appeared in just 18 games for the Sixers this season and could be available within the next few days. Kapono would add wing depth to any team as his ability to shoot the three could make him an attractive signing. Expect the Celtics, Lakers and Thunder to show interest.

Dan Gadzuric: Gadzuric was sent to the New Jersey Nets as part of the Troy Murphy trade and could find himself looking for work as well. Gradzuric is not the sexiest pick, but the 6-11 center would contribute on the defensive end of the floor making him a decent short money signing. Expect the Celtics, Hornets and Knicks to show interest.

Richard Hamilton: The Hamilton saga is getting messier by the day. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons had a deal in place, but the deal was nixed by Hamilton after he rejected a potential buyout offer. Now, depending on where you look, Hamilton may or may not have orchestrated a boycott of yesterday’s team shoot around. It is looking more and more likely that Hamilton will remain with the Detroit Pistons for the remainder of the season either sitting on the bench or being sent home away from the team. If he is let go, the Bulls and Celtics would be likely landing spots.

Rasheed Wallace: Another day, another 1,000 Rasheed Wallace rumors. Wallace may not be the first option for Danny Ainge, but expect the Celtics to put the hard sell on him should they miss out on some of the bigger names that could be made available.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons worked out a deal, prior to yesterday’s NBA trade deadline, to swap disgruntled guard Richard Hamilton for a protected first round draft pick. The deal fell through when the Cavaliers and Hamilton were unable to work out the details of a contract buyout. Hamilton, who is owed $25 million over the next two seasons, will now most likely remain with the Detroit Pistons collecting checks.

The move comes as a surprise as Hamilton seemed to be waiting for the opportunity to be bought out so that he could sign with a contending team. The dream of having Richard Hamilton backing up Ray Allen seems to be just a dream at this point. However, this is the NBA and stranger things have and will happen on a daily basis.

Said Pistons president Joe Dumars: “We worked very hard through the trade deadline, but at the end of the day, there simply wasn’t a good deal for us to make.”

The Cavaliers would have used the $14.5 million trade exception they gained when LeBron James left for Miami via free agency last summer. Using the exception, which not many teams had, would have allowed the deal to go through without the Pistons having to take on any additional salary equal or greater to what they would have sent to the Cavaliers.

The NBA trade deadline is a mere hours away and the Celtics have yet to pull the trigger on any one of the hundreds of rumors flying through the interwebs. With the roster already at 15 players, Celtic president Danny Ainge has very little to work with heading into the deadline.

Tradeable Chips: Avery Bradley, Von Wafer, Marquis Daniels, Semih Erden, Nate Robinson and draft picks.

Bradley has the most potential, but Ainge would need to be willing to mortgage the future to fix the present. Erden is short money (500K next season) but will not command a lot in return. Wafer and Daniels offer the NBA gold of expiring contracts, but there is a downside attached. Wafer does not make enough money to provide a decent return and Daniels has the right to veto any trade due to his early “Bird Rights” having signed a second consecutive one year deal with the Celtics. Nate Robinson is owed 4.5 mil next season and could be used as leverage to take on an even bigger contract in return. The Celtics have their first rounds picks to offer as well, but with the Celtics likely no where near the lottery, they would be of little interest to opposing GM’s.

Needs: Small Forward and general bench depth.

Rumors:

Nate Robinson: will/will not be traded to the Golden State Warriors. Almost as quickly as we heard about this one, it quickly went away. The Celtics need a small forward and could use Nate Robinson to obtain one or clear the way to obtain one via buyout once the trade deadline passes.

Rasheed Wallace: the long standing rumor is that Sheed would join the C’s after the trade deadline passes. With Semih Erden now forced into the starting lineup, signing Rasheed Wallace does not seem like such a bad idea.

Shane Battier: Battier has over 7 mil in contract remaining and it will most likely take both Nate Robinson and Marquis Daniels to make the trade work from a money standpoint. At this point, what do you really gain. Odds are, Battier will be available in a few days via a buyout.

Anthony Parker: The Cavs have been rumored to be in search for a “quality draft pick” in return for Parker. With the C’s looking to draft possibly from #28 on, the draft pick option is out of the question. The only other conciviable option would be Avery Bradley. With an enticing Rondo, Bradley backcourt combo for the future, the C’s would be hard pressed to swap Bradley for a rental player.

Grant Hill: A deal for Hill would make sense for the right price. Hill has an expiring contract, but it will take the combination of Daniels along with either Bradley, Haragody and Erden to make it happen.

Clearing the way for a Buyout.

A host of quality NBA players are rumored to be available in a few days as teams buy out the remaining money on their contracts. Players such as, Richard Hamilton, Troy Murphy, James Posey, Tayshaun Prince, Rasaul Butler and Jason Kapono could be looking for work and the Celtics offer a preferred destination for players looking to make a run at a title. The downside is that the Celtics need to let someone go in order to make this happen. They may not make a blockbuster deal before the deadline, but they may make a player for picks trade or a 2 for 1 deal just to get the roster below 15 in order to accommodate a new acquisition.