The Boston Celtics may look at a Rajon Rondo deal this season and teams like the NY Knicks, Houston Rockets, LA Lakers, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings all could be interested in making a move, as Rondo is headed into free agency and Bill Simmons at Grantland predicts a mid-season trade for the point guard, while Marc Gasol is a free agent target for 2015.
The Celtics and Rondo come into the season together, but there is a good chance they are headed for a split at some point, whether it be during the year or next summer. Rondo could get traded if the Celtics think he will not sign back with the team, but right now it looks like he is keeping all his options open. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Celtics want to see if Rondo can stay healthy this season after he had ACL surgery and came back last year and that likely will dictate what the team does.
Rondo will be looking for max money or close to that once he hits the market and if things get that far, the Celtics should have some competition. The Knicks, Lakers and Kings have all shown interest in the past and NY and LA will have money to spend. Both teams are planning on going hard after free agents next summer and along with Rondo, names like Greg Monroe and LaMarcus Aldridge also will be on the market. Pro Basketball Talk also reported that Marc Gasol will be a free agent target for the Celtics next summer whether Rondo stays or goes.
Rondo is hoping to start the season after breaking his hand, but there is a chance he will miss some time and that is why the Celtics arte happy they have Smart. The team was lucky to have him in the draft, as he likely would have been a top three pick had he came out last year. The top picks had Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins and that pushed Smart into the Celtics and now he has the chance to start the season at point guard with Rondo injured.
Earlier this summer the Celtics and Rondo said that neither side has been looking for a trade and that both want to start the season together. Things could change once the trade deadline gets closer and while Rondo will come up in trade rumors, he may not end up getting moved this winter. The Celtics want the chance to talk to Rondo once free agency starts and that could lead to a deal.
The Celtics come into this season after winning just 25 games last year and Brad Stevens is back for his second go around and the team is expecting some improvements. The team likely will not make the playoffs, but after drafting Smart and adding Evan Turner, the team has the chance to improve. If Rondo is healthy they will be a factor in the division and coming in he averaged nearly 10 assists last year in 30 games after his ACL recovery.