The Boston Celtics have the option of a Rajon rondo trade this year and while the team has not gone down that road yet, teams like the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and NY Knicks could be interested parties for a deal with Danny Ainge and this comes as the Celtics are building back the franchise with players like Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk for coach Brad Stevens.
Rondo is the best player on the Celtics and he has been mentioned in trade rumors for quite some time, including right after all the deals with Kevin Garnett, Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce. According to ESPN.com, the Rockets could look at making a big move this year at the deadline or earlier, as Marc Stein writes that Daryl Morey is still disappointed that the team missed out on their main free agent targets in Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh.
The Sacramento Kings reportedly were interested in a deal last year for Rondo after moving Tyreke Evans, but the two teams did not get into deep discussions. Stein also wrote on ESPN.com earlier this summer that the Pacers could look at Rondo or Goran Dragic as options to upgrade at point guard, as they are looking for more out of George Hill. Stein added that the team thought a Dragic deal would be a "dream" since they would have to give up less than for Rondo, but that was from before the Paul George injury.
The Pacers could be motivated to make a deal after George was injured, but right now it appears they will try and use the free agent market to make up for his loss. The Rockets are a team to keep an eye on, as they traded away Jeremy Lin and lost Chandler Parsons to the Dallas Mavericks in free agency and that could motivate them to make a move. The team really likes Patrick Beverley and they are fine with him starting, but adding someone like Rondo would make a Big 3 for James Harden and Dwight Howard and that is what Morey wants.
Rondo came back from a serious injury after missing half the season and looked very good, averaging double digit points and nearly the same in assists. Rondo previously signed a five-year, $55 million extension with the Celtics and now he is in the final year of that deal. The Celtics may not want to give Rondo a ton of money, but he could make upwards of $100 million on his next deal and that could lead to him getting traded.
The Celtics drafted James Young and Marcus Smart and while that doesn't mean the team is trading Rondo, it at least gives them options if he is moved. Smart has played point before while at college at Oklahoma State, while the team also added Evan Turner as a free agent off the bench for this year. Smart would likely have been a lottery pick had he came out last year and now the Celtics have him and with his 6-foot-3, 227 pounds size, he should be a solid NBA player.
The Celtics are rebuilding and now the team must decide whether or not that Rajon Rondo is part of that. The team may try and sign him to an extension and if they let him hit free agency, a number of teams will come hard, including the Rockets, Lakers and Knicks.
