The Boston Celtics have spent most of the season denying rumors that they are trading point guard Rajon Rondo and just as the star is set to return, rumors have started to come out that the Sacramento Kings could be in on a deal and names like Rudy Gay, Jason Thompson, Marcus Thornton, Jeff Green or Gerald Wallace in a deal.
The Celtics made the big move with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in the offseason and that led many to believe that the team would deal Rondo as well, but Danny Ainge has been adamant that the move is not happening. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Kings, who had been mentioned earlier in the offseason as a potential landing spot for Rondo, are looking to deal for him again and while the trade was denied in the media by the Celtics, cources say that it is a real possibility.
The Kings have been one of the more active teams in the NBA this season involving trades and they already have pulled off two big ones with Derrick Williams and the Timberwolves as well as Rudy Gay and the Toronto Raptors. The report from Pro Basketball Talk says that the team would love to pair Rondo with franchise big man DeMarcus Cousins and that Sacramento would not be opposed to moving Gay again as well after acquiring him in the Raptors move.
Adding to all this intrigue is the fact that the Celtics have played well under new coach Brad Stevens and after wining eight of its last 12 games, the team, is 12-14 and is in first place in the Atlantic division and fourth in the east after many felt that the team could be one of the worst in the NBA. That mantle has been taken by the Knicks, who have looked like a complete mess this season and the Celtics may feel that dealing Rondo is best for the franchise in the long term.
Any deal for the Celtics likely would include some of their rougher contracts and that report from Yahoo Sports says that names like Gerald Wallace and Jeff Green could be involved as well and a deal for Rondo would give the Kings a legitimate star despite taking on those contracts. The team could be willing to make the move as long as they get Rondo and after making the Gay deal, the money may work out with him going back across the league to Boston. Wallace likely will move in any deal for Rondo and while the Celtics love their point guard, the team is in rebuilding mode despite their success and with Stevens there for the long haul, snaring some picks could be the best result for the team.
Rondo is on his way back from his knee injury and he has been cleared for contact in practice and while he has not gotten back into a game yet, that may not be far off. Last season Rondo had ACL surgery in February and he has been working back ever since and as he is poised to return, he could get traded.
