With the NBA trade deadline less than two months away, Rajon Rondo is once again popping up on everyone's radar. The Boston Celtics point guard has come "close" to being traded several times in the past year and so far no deal has been finalized. Both Rondo and the Celtics maintain the stance that they will look to continue their relationship following free agency, but suddenly with several teams showing interest, a long-term contract might no longer be the goal.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Houston Rockets are one of the many teams currently in talks with the Boston Celtics about a trade regarding Rondo. This is not the first time the Rockets have shown interest in the point guard. The two teams came close to a deal involving Chandler Parsons, but it ultimately fell apart. Now they are talking once again in hopes of getting something done by the trade deadline.
The Rockets have what it takes to get a trade done and quickly. They still have a trade exception from Jeremy Lin they can easily use to absorb an incoming salary. They have the first-round draft picks from the New Orleans Pelicans that the Celtics will certainly be requesting and they have young assets in Isaiah Canaan, Terrence Jones and possibly Clint Capela to win Boston over fully. That is exactly what Boston has been asking for all along as most deals hinge upon that first-round draft pick.
The Rockets would ideally love to have Rondo. Since trading away Lin, they have been using Patrick Beverley as their primary point guard. While he has been doing a solid job this season, he is no Rondo. The Rockets would love to form a Big 3 with James Harden and Dwight Howard along with Rondo that would give them a full roster that could contend for a title.
The trade for Rondo has one fault in it and that is the point guard will still be a free agent come the summer regardless. Any team that is able to pull off a trade for the point guard will be in the same position as the Cleveland Cavaliers are with Kevin Love. They have to hope Rondo will re-sign with them in the summer after they give up a lot to get him. According to Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk, Rondo would re-sign with the Houston Rockets or the Dallas Mavericks if either team made a trade for him.
There is competition right now for Rondo. The Mavericks are reportedly the frontrunner while the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks are considering if they stand a chance. With the deadline not until February, not deal is happening in the next few weeks, but if both the Mavericks and Rockets are playing well come the end of January, talks will heat up.
