The Boston Celtics and Rajon Rondo will continue to come up in trade rumors this season and teams like the LA Lakers, NY Knicks, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings all could be interested in a deal at some point and it comes after Rondo broke his hand last month and could miss the start of the season for the Celtics, who are also looking to add Marc Gasol in free agency next summer.
The Celtics and Rondo have both made statements about all the trade rumors and right now they are happy to start the season together. Pro Basketball Talk reported that Rondo wants to see where the Celtics are at with their rebuilding before even thinking about signing an extension, while the Celtics have said they want to keep Rondo long term, but also want to see if he is healthy. Rondo broke his hand, but that is not a major concern, as he is also coming back from ACL surgery and after playing in 30 games last year, the team wants to see if he can make it through the season.
The owner of the team and Danny Ainge has both said they want to keep Rondo long term and Rondo has to decide whether he wants to sign an extension or hit the free agent market. All signs point to him hitting free agency and while he still may stay with the Celtics after that, teams like the Knicks and the Lakers will also be going after him. The Celtics drafted Marcus Smart in the draft this year and he could be the point guard of the future if Rondo ends up leaving in a trade or in free agency.
The Celtics are in the middle of a hard rebuild, but they have a ton of young talent and cap space and they can use that to really help reshape the team. If the Celtics keep Rondo next season and look to add a big name, they could turn things around much like the Cavs have done after signing LeBron James. Obviously there isn't a LeBron on the market, but he has turned the perception of the Cavs and they have young talent like the Celtics do. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Celtics are looking to sign back Rondo and target Marc Gasol next summer on the free agent market.
The Lakers and the Knicks are two teams that will go after Rondo and they will have cap space to spend on free agents, including Marc Gasol and Greg Monroe if they hit the market. Rondo will be a major target no matter what happens this season and the Celtics will be looking to make a run at keeping him and if they can sign Gasol or another free agent along with him, they could be on their way to getting good again soon.