The Boston Celtics continue to stay true to their word in not trading Rajon Rondo. The point guard has the attention of plenty of teams in the league as many believe he is available being in the final year of his contract. The Celtics have had every opportunity to send off Rondo and have denied every move claiming he is the cornerstone of the franchise. Instead, team president Danny Ainge intends to bring players to Rondo and Love is the main target.
Boston attempted to make a deal for Love prior to the NBA Draft. They offered a variety of players in order to get the forward, but the Minnesota Timberwolves turned every move away, likely looking for something better down the road. However, the Celtics are determined to try and land Love before the season starts, knowing that when he hits free agency all bets are off with the competition high.
According to the Boston Herald, Boston will present the Timberwolves with another trade offer before the season starts in hopes of giving Rondo a star teammate in 2014. One player not available in talks is Rondo. There has been plenty of speculation that the Houston Rockets are going to try and acquire to point guard, but Ainge is taking him off the table while focusing on a move for Love instead.
Competition is high for a trade for Love. Every team in the league is trying to figure out the right deal to put in place for the forward. The Golden State Warriors were considered favorites until they took Klay Thompson out of discussions. The Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to get involved, but Minnesota wants Andrew Wiggins and they are not letting the No. 1 draft pick go.
The Celtics could have the upperhand with this. The Celtics somehow managed to acquire two players and first-round draft pick in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets without giving anything up. That puts them in a perfect position to land Love. Boston previously offered up Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger for Love.
Could Marcus Smart be available as well? Boston is not giving up Rondo, but Smart could draw attention if the team is desperate to get the forward. According to NESN.com, Smart cannot be traded for 30 days, but is not ruled out of a package for Love. Many assumed that drafting Smart meant Rondo was gone. However, the former Oklahoma State point guard could be sent to Minnesota instead. With interest surrounding Ricky Rubio and his contract expiring next summer, the move cannot be ruled out as an option.
