The Boston Celtics have Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green as trade targets this season and at the deadline, teams like the Houston Rockets, NY Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Lakers, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings all could potentially be interested in either player and this comes as Rondo is heading towards free agency and a massive pay day.
Rondo is heading towards free agency and he is expected to hit the market next summer whether or not the Celtics trade the point guard. Marcus Smart is dealing with an injury and his status could decide what the team does, but it's likely that Danny Ainge hangs onto Rondo at the trading deadline. ESPN.com writer Marc Stein has detailed the issues surrounding the Celtics and Rondo and he said that while it's very unlikely, there is a chance the team finally pulls the trigger on a deal for Rondo.
Rondo is averaging a double double this season with 10 points and 10 assists per game and he has looked good since coming back from his ACL surgery last year. Rondo played in 30 games last season and really turned it on over the final two weeks of the year and now the Celtics have to weigh whether to trade Rondo or keep him and possibly lose him for nothing in free agency.
Green has also come up in trade rumors over the past two seasons and some reports have him being just as coveted a free agent next summer as Rondo is. Green has a contract option so it's not certain that he will hit the market, but many in and around the league believe that he will be a free agent next summer along with Rondo.
Green has a player option for just under $10 million for next year and while that is a solid amount, most execs think he will hit the market. There are a number of teams that could look at Green also and some feel that he could be as much of a target as Rondo. The Celtics may have to give Rondo a max contract to keep him and Pro Basketball Talk reported that the team could also target Marc Gasol. Rondo and Gasol are two of the top players on the free agent market and the Celtics have some money to spend and could splurge if they feel the rebuilding process has moved in the right direction.
The Celtics come into the week at 4-8 on the season and they are playing next against the Chicago Bulls after the Thanksgiving Day holiday. The team comes in after a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers and they next will play against the Spurs after matching up with the Bulls. The team is fifth in the league in points per game this season with nearly 105 per contest and they are also first in assists per game. The Celtics are 28th in defense while allowing 107 points per game and Brad Stevens is looking to shore that up heading into the middle stretch of the year.
