Lotto Luck Key To Rondo Decision

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2014/02/lotto_luck_key_to_rajon_rondo_decision



Lotto luck key to Rajon Rondo decision




Photo by: Matt Stone (file)
NOT BREAKING UP YET: Danny Ainge likely won’t consider trading Rajon Rondo until after the draft lottery.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014
By:  Steve Bulpett



PHOENIX — It’s the evening of May 20, 2014, and somehow the Celtics, who finished with the 10th-worst record after a late-season surge, have overcome long lottery odds. The ping-pong balls bounced their way, and they have gained the top pick in an NBA draft that will feature Jabari Parker.

EMTs are called in to revive Danny Ainge, who knocked himself out cold with a slap to the forehead upon revelation of the results. Seems the Celtics president of basketball operations was experiencing a major attack of trader’s remorse for having dealt away Rajon Rondo three months earlier.

You might think this scenario a bit farfetched (I mean the part about the Celts getting the first pick; Ainge decking himself is entirely plausible), but it factors in to what’s happening now.

The Celtics are, indeed, willing to entertain offers for Rondo, but unless another club puts something truly amazing to Ainge’s head, it’s hard to see him pulling the trigger on such a trade at this time.

In trying to figure out the time coordinates of his rebuilding project, you’d have to think the knowledge of where the Celts will be drafting this June is a critical piece of information.

If things don’t pan out in the lottery and the project seems as if it will be delayed, it makes sense to look hard into moving Rondo, who turns 28 on Saturday. If the shamrocks align on May 20, then you could be accelerating the process. The Celts could then be looking to package assets to find solid components to put around Rondo and a high draftee.

In other words, with the aforementioned unrefusable offer exception, it would behoove Ainge to wait.

Yet there is still the feeling around the league that Rondo is very much in play as tomorrow’s trade deadline approaches. In addition to a number of NBA executives, that belief is shared by one R. Rondo.

After passing off the presence of his name in trade talks as an annual rite of deadline week, he acknowledged moments later that the concept of him being dealt is more realistic this time around.

“It’s a little different this time,” he told the Herald. “I knew this would come up after All-Star break. The deadline is coming up. Teams are trying to make moves.”

And, he noted, the Celtics are in a far different position than the past several years.

We’ve written here since last summer that the club is under a deadline of sorts as regards Rondo. With the All-Star point guard eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2015, the C’s have to judge whether they will be good enough then so Rondo will want to stay. If not, they’ll have to look to trade him by next year’s deadline. In truth, they might lose some leverage by holding off until then, so Ainge would probably have to work the marketplace around this year’s draft (and before the start of free agency).

Rondo has reiterated his desire to get back to the top with the Celtics, but he added yesterday that the most important factor in his mind is winning. There are no hard and fast guidelines, however.

“I don’t know,” he said before heading out for the start of practice. “I can’t really say that right now. It’s so early. I haven’t really talked to Danny. He may tell me something different.

“It just depends. He may tell me we’re maybe one or two years away and ask if I want to wait. There’s a lot of things that can go into consideration, so it’s hard to speak on it now. It’s something I’ll have to discuss with Danny.”

There is also the lingering question of whether the Celts can build around Rondo. At his best, he is an elite player in this league, but there is still an issue with even his improved consistency.

“I don’t know,” Rondo said. “I think that’s more on them to decide. I’m going to play my position. I’m going to go out there and do what I do best. Nothing’s going to change. I am who I am and play the way I play. I’ve been here for eight years; they know what they’re getting with me.”

And once the Celtics have a better idea of what they can get around Rondo, they will be able to make more informed choices.



bob



.

The Celtics are better off keeping Rondo for a number of reasons:

1. Rondo is the best PG Boston can get.

2. Rondo's good enough to attract free agents once this team develops more chemistry.

3. Rondo already has a positive relationship with Stevens.

4. Rondo actually wants to play on the Celtics.




KJ

KJ,

Makes sense to me.

I think the trade rumors are a lot of smoke, which is what we've seen many, many times in recent years. I don't think the information is coming from Celtic management because we rarely hear anything on most of Boston's deals until they're done.

13 hours and four minutes to go.