The Boston Celtics may look at a Rajon Rondo trade at the NBA trading deadline this year, as teams like the NY Knicks, LA Lakers, Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings may be interested in the point guard, but after having hand surgery and the injury to Marcus Smart along with the fact that Rondo is headed towards free agency, there is a good chance the Celtics sit tight and hang onto Rondo.
The Celtics and Rondo have been mentioned in trade speculation over the past two years and now that Rondo is heading towards free agency, those rumors should pick up even more. Reports over the past few months have gone back and forth, with some reporting that the Celtics will consider trading Rondo, while others have speculated that the two likely will stay together for this year into next summer. Both sides make sense, as the Celtics want to see if they can keep Rondo, while the point guard likely will make a ton of money as a free agent, so he is in no rush to get traded.
Pro Basketball Talk reported before the season that the Celtics will try and keep Rondo while also going after another big free agent and that player likely will be Marc Gasol. The Celtics love Gasol and he is one of the top names heading to the market and teams like the Lakers and Knicks will also be gunning for his services. The Houston Rockets, Lakers, Knicks, Pacers and Kings all could be interested in Rondo, but since the Celtics are likely going to ask for a big package for a player that may not sign an extension, a trade may not end up working out.
Rondo came back last season after ACL surgery and looked very good over the final 30 games, averaging nearly a double-double in that time on points and assists. Over the final few weeks of the season Rondo did average a double-double and no matter what happens, he will be the most coveted free agent on the market. Kevin Love was once considered to be the top name that would be in free agency, but after his trade to the Cavaliers, it now has shifted to Rondo.
The Celtics actually were mentioned in the Kevin Love trade rumors early on because of their draft picks, but that talk quickly dissipated. The Cavaliers are likely to sign Love to an extension, but recently some reports have come out that say Love will opt out of his deal after this season to sign another contract and he could sign with a team like the Lakers. LA was one of the teams gunning for Love as a free agent before he was traded and they hoped he would make it to the market this summer.
Love may still sign back with the Cavaliers, but opening things up to the Lakers would be interesting since they will have money to spend next summer. The Celtics are in rebuilding mode and with Marcus Smart injured for a few weeks, they will get a look at what Rondo and this team can do as it. Brad Stevens wants Rondo back, but it may take some big money to make it happen.