Update: More trade rumor fun — Foxsports is reporting a Mets deal for Luis Castillo is close.

SECOND update: The AP is reporting the KG trade to Boston is going to happen, though there are still moving parts as to exactly what the Wolves will get in return. Jefferson is back in the mix, according to Boston.com.

We’ll take the KG-to-Boston trade rumors with a shaker-full of salt, not just a grain. That said, when KG’s agent is saying there are “serious discussions” underway and Boston.com is reporting a deal could happen as soon as this afternoon, we have to treat this topic very seriously once again.

The deals: KG goes out, Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair and Theo Ratliff come in; or, hot off the imaginary Internet presses: Green, Telfair, Ratliff, Ryan Gomes and two No. 1 picks.

What do we know? Boston fans, at least the most reactionary among a very reactionary bunch, hate the idea of the option involving Jefferson. … Trading KG for four players would give the Wolves a very crowded roster for this upcoming season. Something would obviously have to give. … Jefferson is obviously the key piece. He averaged 16 ppg and 11 rpg last season. He averaged 19.7 ppg in March and 22.3 ppg in April, and he has the chance to be very, very good. Green is a wild card. He’s only 21 and is extremely athletic. He could be an athletic 15-18 ppg guy or he could fall off the face of the earth. Ratliff has a giant ($11 million) contract that comes off the books after this season; Telfair still has potential but he’s a hype over production guy. All three of the younger guys have reasonable contracts that involve qualifying offers and team options after this season. Gomes? Who cares. Two future No. 1 picks? With KG, Pierce, Ray Allen and Jefferson in the East, the Celtics would at least be middle of the pack. Don’t bet on those picks being in the lottery.

What we think? You already know. We think a KG deal is inevitable and, in fact, a year too late. There might never be a deal as good as the first option on the table again. Remember: KG might only be 31 years old, but he has played more than 35,000 minutes in his career. He is already No. 46 all-time in that category, and he has played more minutes than Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson did in their careers. That’s a lot of miles on the odomoter. The Wolves will not be competitive until at least 2009, at which point, barring injury, KG would have played more than 40,000 minutes. The Wolves need to start over. Now is the time.

However: Any trade not involving Al Jefferson is a bad deal. We like trade 1. We dislike trade 2. That simple. Your thoughts as we jump on this roller-coaster again?

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