Celtics talk Rajon Rondo trade with Mavs, Lakers, others
Early on in the 2011-12 season, back when the Boston Celtics still had their Big Three intact and 25-year-old point guard Rajon Rondo was so good that it was actually a Big Four, it was revealed that his future in Beantown was somewhat uncertain.
Celtics general manager Danny Ainge had his eyes on then-New Orleans point guard Chris Paul, who had an unclear future of his own as he approached free agency in the following summer. A deal would never get done, but it sent a message that Rondo could be had at the right price –however high it may have been.
Three years later, Rondo's future is more unclear than ever and the price tag that has been so drastically discounted by his ACL injury and Father Time over these years may finally be affordable to his many suitors. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed reports that the Dallas Mavericks and Celtics are having talks about a Rondo trade, though Boston is also known to be engaging with several other teams about their four-time All-Star. A second person with knowledge of the situation said the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers are among the many teams who have inquired about Rondo. The people spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of trade talks.
The Lakers inquired about a deal Thursday that would send forward Jordan Hill and a first-round pick to the Celtics for Rondo and forward Jeff Green, but the Celtics declined that offer, a person familiar with the details told USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the private nature of trade talks.
The Rockets appear to have as good a chance as anyone of landing Rondo. According to a person with knowledge of the talks, they are still actively involved with the discussions Thursday afternoon.
It seems like yesterday that Rondo was one of the most unique and dynamic players in all the NBA, a pass-first point guard who headed Boston's brutal defense, whose offensive game had evolved and whose edgy style was such a good fit with those Celtics teams that won it all in 2008 and were in the mix almost every year. To wit: in the 2010-11 season, Rondo had the third best-selling jersey in all the NBA behind only LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
But the ACL tear he suffered in late January of 2013 robbed him of almost a year of his basketball life, all while those Celtics neared the end of their era and the quandary of what to do about Rondo became increasingly tricky for Ainge. While it remains to be seen which team – if any – winds up with Rondo before the Feb. 19 trade deadline, the Celtics' risk of losing him for nothing in free agency this summer seems more daunting by the day.
Even with the health problems that hit the pause button his career, the fact that this summer's free agency crop is relatively thin means he will have no shortage of opportunities that objective viewers would deem superior to the situation in Boston. The notion of him joining Bryant surfaced recently, when the Lakers star and Rondo met for a breakfast in Boston that was widely seen as an unofficial recruiting trip of sorts.
The Mavericks possibility is certainly intriguing, as a starting five in Dallas of Rondo, Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler would be as well-rounded and potent as there is. And despite the Mavericks' 19-8 record, their point guard play has been subpar this season.
In 22 games as the starter, veteran Jameer Nelson has averaged 7.6 points (38.4% shooting), 4.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 25.4 minutes. Ellis, their All-Star caliber shooting guard, leads the team in assists per game (4.6 per game) and backup point guard Devin Harris is averaging 9.1 points, 3.8 assists and 24.6 minutes.
The Rockets option is as compelling as they come, too, with Dwight Howard and James Harden making up two thirds of a Big Three and the offseason addition of Trevor Ariza working at the small forward spot working so wonderfully so far. Rondo would be a welcome addition there as well, and his production this season (eight points, 10.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game) is clearly enough to inspire a fruitful market for his services.
While Rondo has said that he has interest in remaining in Boston, the reality is that the Celtics (9-14) are still quite a few moves away from returning to contention. That factor, coupled with Rondo's age (now 28) and the health history that always reminds a player that his time in this game is so precious, have led rival executives to the conclusion that this is a marriage that simply isn't built to last.
The only question now, it seems, is where he goes and how much it will cost this time around.