Ainge: 'Rondo's not being traded'

CSNE
March 12, 2012, 10:43 pm

LOS ANGELES — A number of Boston Celtics players will continue to be the subject of trade rumors up until the 3 p.m. deadline on Thurday.

But there's one player that isn't going anywhere - Rajon Rondo.

"Rondo's not being traded," Danny Ainge, Boston's president of basketball operations, told CSNNE.com prior to the Celtics facing the Los Angeles Clippers. "I don't know how many times I have to say it. Rondo's not being traded."

No player in the NBA has been talked about more among potential trade rumors. The latest involved a deal that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Pau Gasol.

Ainge said that reported conversation, never happened.

And while trade rumors have the potential to impact a player negatively, Ainge said he has been pleased with how Rondo has handled what has been a season filled with him being the subject of being traded.

"Rondo, from the beginning of this year, has shown a lot of maturity in dealing with all this, back to the Chris Paul rumors and stuff," Ainge said. "Rondo and I have had open dialogue and conversation. He knows where he stands with our organization and how important he is."

112288

When Ainge says Rondo's not being traded, I dearly hope it's not akin to when Nixon said, "I AM NOT A CROOK."

MD!

"READ MY LIPS NO NEW TAXES"

112288

Thursday can't get here quickly enough.

I think Dooling/ Daniels/ Wilcox/ JON could be bodies moved to gain room for 1 or 2 bigs. If we fail to get someone half way decent I think we will have a short playoff run so we can set up for the NBA draft and free agent signings.

I do think KG and RA will be back and become part of the bench moving forward. Just think of a second unit consisting of Bass, Allen, Garnett, Pietrus, and Bradley.

112288

112288 wrote:I think Dooling/ Daniels/ Wilcox/ JON could be bodies moved to gain room for 1 or 2 bigs. If we fail to get someone half way decent I think we will have a short playoff run so we can set up for the NBA draft and free agent signings.

I do think KG and RA will be back and become part of the bench moving forward. Just think of a second unit consisting of Bass, Allen, Garnett, Pietrus, and Bradley.

112288

If both Allen and Pietrus are on your second unit who starts at shooting guard?

112288 wrote:I think Dooling/ Daniels/ Wilcox/ JON could be bodies moved to gain room for 1 or 2 bigs. If we fail to get someone half way decent I think we will have a short playoff run so we can set up for the NBA draft and free agent signings.

I do think KG and RA will be back and become part of the bench moving forward. Just think of a second unit consisting of Bass, Allen, Garnett, Pietrus, and Bradley.

112288

112288, I understand wishful thinking, but Wilcox and JON cannot pass physicals and aren't trade chips. Wilcox may need Jeff Green-type surgery and a year-plus recovery, and JON may be done for his career. That leaves dead-weight Dooling and end-of-the-bench Daniels. Just because salaries work doesn't mean anyone is willing to take any of these guys. The fact is that the Celtics have very few assets to work with in arranging a trade. Even Pietrus may have difficulty passing a physical.

If they do make a deal, it's almost a certainty that it will have to include a valued asset -- one of the current starters (KG, Bass, Pierce, Ray, Rondo), Stiemsma, or Bradley, and they're not going to get a quality big using just Stiemsma, Bradley, and guys from the end of the bench.

Ainge tried to make a big move at the deadline last year and it backfired. That doesn't mean he doesn't have the nerve to make another big move, but the odds of a worthwhile deal even presenting itself are low. The most likely course of action is perhaps fiddling around the margins but essentially standing pat with the core group and keeping all the expiring contracts to begin rebuilding next year. It won't make the Celtics instant competitors for the title, but it's logical.

You can't look at the 2007-08 season that added Ray, KG, Big Baby, House, Posey, and PJ Brown to the roster and instantly delivered on a title as the model. Big changes like that resulting in a title that quickly is by far the exception, and it's a credit to an exceptional team and coaching staff that they pulled it off, but it may have caused some Celtic fans hungry after such a long championship drought to expect that the team can capture lightning in a bottle again. The post-Big Three era will likely require patience on everyone's part and a steady hand by Ainge in particular.

Outside

Outside:

Yeah, patience! It will require the patience of JOB!

MD!

Steve,

I would move Pietrus to small forward.

112288

Outside,

They all have expiring contracts so it would be of interest to any club.

112288

112288 wrote:Steve,

I would move Pietrus to small forward.

112288

I was saying that if Ray Allen, Pietrus (and Bradley) were on the second unit as per your suggestion, who is the shooting guard on the first team? Certainly not Pierce who is years removed from possibly playing that position.

Steve,

We are going to be radically different in terms of personnel because of the cap room we have for free agents who will be starters.

Starting lineup: Rondo at PG/ Free Agent at SG/ Pierce at SF/ Green at PF/ Free Agent at C.

Certainly we can mix and match as Doc see's fit and perhaps Allen get some time at starting SG. I also see Moore getting a chance at SG. As Doc said he was the 3rd best shooter they have and proved it in Orlando game.

112288

Outside is right. A good rule of thumb is that, if a player isn't getting any time from the Celtics, only a singular set of circumstances would make him desirable to other teams. And being forced to get rid of a couple of players just to fit a package of undesirables onto the roster is close to lunacy.

I won't be surprised if Ainge has already checked on the status of someone like Gadzurac and, if he learns tomorrow that O'Neil and/or Wilcox will be lost to the Celtics for a significant period, he'll do a last minute pickup of Dan and release either of those two or an end-of-roster player. They really need two more bigs, but hopin' ain't gettin'.

Sam

Danny wouldn't trade Rondo for Gasol. He says...



bob



.

Has anyone noticed how many times Danny Ainge makes announcements that he is not trading Rondo. It's like every day he says something.

I would say once is enough and let it go at that. Something does not make sense to me.

112288