The Boston Celtics still appear likely to trade Rajon Rondo before the February deadline. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, who's unlikely to let Rondo walk as a free agent for nothing in return, is likely just biding his time and waiting for the best trade offer.
Officially, there's been nothing new on the Rondo front. Unofficially, the Celtics still appear likely to move him before the trade deadline in February. Reports last week indicated both Rondo and Ainge wanted to head into training camp together and see how the first part of the season played out, but it's hard to find anybody who believes Rondo will be a Celtic next season.
"They could just as easily bring him into camp and even into the season before finding the exact deal they'll be looking for," Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders wrote Saturday. "I do think they end up moving him at some point before the deadline in February. I don't see Ainge simply letting (Rondo's) deal run out without getting an asset or two in return."
Rondo is in the final year of his contract and becomes a free agent in July. The drafting of point guard Marcus Smart with the sixth overall pick seemed to signal Ainge was preparing the team for a future without Rondo, whose worth is enough to net the Celtics at least one future first-round draft pick.
While Ainge has maintained Rondo isn't being shopped, it seems inevitable Rondo will be dealt before February. The tricky part is finding the right offer. Whichever team trades for Rondo would want a wink and a nod from the All-Star that he would re-sign with them in the summer, something Rondo is unlikely to do for two reasons: 1) he controls his future by becoming an unrestricted free agent in July, and 2) the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement allows him to make more money by signing as a free agent with a team.
If Rondo does become a free agent next summer, a bevy of teams will be lined up to pursue him. Among the teams expected to make a serious run at Rondo are the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets.
