Rajon Rondo to Mavericks: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction

Tyler ConwayDec 18, 2014

The rest of Rajon Rondo's road to recovering his superstar status will happen in Dallas. In a blockbuster move that continues the reshaping of the Celtics franchise, Boston has agreed in principle to a multiplayer trade that sends the enigmatic point guard to the Dallas Mavericks.

Continue for updates.

Rondo Introduced at Press Conference

Danny Ainge Weighs in on Rondo Trade

Chris Forsberg of ESPN provides Ainge's comments on trading Rondo:

Rondo Traded to Mavericks

Thursday, Dec. 18

The ESPN SportsCenter Twitter account broke the news with a report from Marc Stein:

Stein further clarified that in addition to Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright and Jameer Nelson, the picks would be a future first- and second-round selection. The Mavs would later confirm the trade on the team's Twitter account.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports added that the Celtics will make a roster move to ensure the trade goes through:

Wojnarowski has more on the draft pick involved:

Bryan Gutierrez of Mavs Outsider has Chandler Parsons' thoughts:

One risk of the Mavs adding the veteran point guard is that Rondo is in the last year of his contract. There's a chance that Dallas has given up talented pieces for what is essentially a rental. But, according to ESPN's Tim McMahon, the team is confident they'll convince Rondo to re-sign with them:

"
Rajon Rondo will be no rental for the Dallas Mavericks after they acquired the four-time All-Star point guard in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics.
The Mavs are “as confident as we can be” that they will sign Rondo to a long-term deal when his contract expires this summer, a high-ranking team source told ESPNDallas.com.
"

Rondo's place within the Celtics franchise has been tenuous almost from the moment he suffered a torn ACL in January 2013. Within a month or so of Boston's elimination from the 2013 playoffs, general manager Danny Ainge deconstructed the previous core, shipping Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn and allowing Doc Rivers to take the Clippers' head-coaching job.

Where Rondo fit within that rebuilding project was always the subject of speculation.

Myriad rumors of teams reaching out to Boston pervaded the 2013-14 campaign, even as Rondo was still recovering. He returned to play 30 regular-season games, averaging 11.7 points, 9.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game.

The Celtics went 25-57 as their roster featured a misshapen group of talent and came into this offseason at a fork in the road. Their asset-collection strategy made them a potential suitor when it came to blockbuster deals for superstars like Kevin Love—and rumors went rampant after Love's visit to Boston. Rondo also seemed interested in recruiting Carmelo Anthony to the New England area.

"I think after we try to get Melo and an additional piece, who knows? The sky's the limit," Rondo said on ESPN's Numbers Never Lie, via Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. "I plan to try to win a championship every year. With Melo, I think it's very possible."

But there remained the possibility of a full detonation. As Love's courtship from Golden State began dominating headlines and the possibility of an Anthony signing came and went, Ainge had to decide whether Rondo was still a part of the future.

Striking out on big names made that decision for him.

At age 28 and with a competitive, at-times abrasive reputation, Rondo was not the type to sit patiently through a rebuild. With his contract expiring after the 2014-15 season and the Celtics lacking competitive assets, Ainge spent his second straight offseason carving out a market for the All-Star.

The Sacramento Kings and Knicks were among the most oft-mentioned suitors, though the market was limited because of Rondo's expiring contract. He also never quite looked 100 percent after returning last season, which is understandable but also gives risk-averse front offices pause.

With the Mavericks coming to Boston with a package of players, highlighted by Brandan Wright, the potential for further expediting the rebuild proved too tempting.

Dallas' training staff has no room for error in handling Rondo. The nine-year veteran, while spectacular, is an All-Star thanks in large part to his quickness and athleticism. He's one of the league's best at defending opposing guards on the perimeter, and while he's a crafty dribbler, much of his ability to get into the paint comes from his elite first step.

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders thinks Rondo can improve on his already-strong numbers with the Mavs:

Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters in June that Rondo was already at team facilities working with teammates to prepare himself for the 2014-15 season. It remains to be seen if the enigmatic guard will be quite as motivated by his surroundings.

The trade seems well worth it for the Mavericks. Dallas needs another star-level player to take the next step, and Rondo's relatively cheap, short contract makes this a calculated risk.

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