The Boston Celtics have been mentioned in Rajon Rondo trade rumors this offseason and teams like the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and NY Knicks all could be interested in a move if Danny Ainge wants to make a trade and this comes after the Celtics selected Marcus Smart in the draft and he could be the point guard that eventually takes over for Rondo.
The Celtics came up in some reports online from Basketball Insider about a trade with Rondo the Sacramento Kings, but quickly both teams came out to downplay those reports. While Danny Ainge and the Kings both denied the report, it is not a surprise that the team came up in rumors, as the Kings have been interested in Rondo since last season. According to Pro Basketball Talk, a trade with Rondo is unlikely right now with the Celtics for a number of reasons, including the fact that they are not ready to blow up their team completely yet.
Rondo is heading towards free agency after signing a five year extension with the team and while the Celtics may trade him in the future, right now they would rather wait and see if he can stay healthy. Rondo came back after serious surgery last season and played in 30 games while averaging nearly 10 points and 11 assists per game. The Celtics may want to sign Rondo long term, but they want to make sure he can stay healthy and be a key player for the team before they do that.
The report says that the deal is not a "high priority" for the team right now, as the team wants to see how he recovers from ACL surgery and also whether or not he will be part of their "future" after that. The team has been rebuilding hard the past two seasons and Rondo is still young enough where he could be there when things come to fruition. The report also adds that Rondo likely will take meetings with teams if he hits free agency like Carmelo Anthony did and that means he likely will not sign an extension now. That is another reason why teams may not want to give up too much to get Rondo now.
The Celtics drafted Marcus Smart with their first round draft pick and after that move many felt that the team was setting itself up to trade Rondo. According to Marc Stein from ESPN.com, the Rockets still have their eye on Rondo, while the Indiana Pacers and Kings have also expressed interest over the past year. Smart was a solid pick for the Celtics, as he is a versatile and athletic player and he can play point guard and SG.
Danny Ainge said that drafting Smart was about talent and not about Rondo and that he envisions the two playing together on the floor for Brad Stevens. It remains to be seen whether or not the two can do that, but Smart comes in with an NBA ready body and he also is considered to be an above average defender and that could be big for Boston as well.
