The Boston Celtics may look at a Rajon Rondo trade after taking Marcus Smart in the draft this summer and if they don't trade Rondo, names like Jeff Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger or Kris Humphries could get moved and this comes as Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens are trying to rebuild the Celtics into a playoff contender and they could look at free agents like Gordon Hayward or Lance Stephenson as options as well.
The Celtics may not end up trading Rondo just because they took Smart, but he has been mentioned in trade rumors since last season and it still could be an option for Ainge. According to ESPN.com, the Celtics took Smart after previously targeting Aaron Gordon and the team said that they loved the value of Smart at six, as he should have been a top three player had he come out the previous year. Smart is athletic and could end up being a great scorer and he has plenty of talent after playing at Oklahoma State and honing his skills there.
According to Boston.com, Ainge is not concerned with Smart playing alongside Rondo or vice versa, as he says that the two players should be able to co-exist with each other on the court. Bradley could also be returning and Ainge praised his play and the ability for all three players to play with each other and having a core of players with their skills and athleticism could get the Celtics back to their old ways quickly. Smart was considered to be one of the most NBA ready players in the draft and he comes in at 6-foot-3, 227 pounds and could be a major factor for the team next season.
Smart played at point guard at Oklahoma State and that is one reason why people think the Celtics will trade Rondo, but Ainge dismissed that as a reason to make a trade. Ainge said that Smart can play off the ball and that he showed he is more than a point guard while playing at OK State and he also said that he could learn a lot from having Rondo around. The Celtics traded away Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce last season, which is why many felt they would trade Rondo, but he is nowhere near past his prime like those players were.
The Celtics come into the offseason after winning just 25 games and they had two first round picks and went with smart along with James Young, who played his ball at Kentucky. The Celtics felt Smart was the best player on the board in the draft at the time they picked and Brad Stevens said he is excited to put both players on the court. Names like Jeff Green or Jared Sullinger could get traded this offseason, while an Avery Bradley long term deal or sign and trade cold be coming as well. Bradley is not as good of an offensive player as Smart, but he is above average defending the ball and that could be a factor this year as well.
