Boston Celtics: Trade Rondo Now or Regret It in the Future

If the Boston Celtics were smart, Rajon Rondo’s career game on Sunday against the Knicks in the Garden should be one of the last the All-Star point guard plays in green and white.

In a game involving a clutch three to force overtime by Paul Pierce against Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks, the headlines would have written themselves for a normal game. However, Rondo’s play was anything but normal.

Rajon finished the game with 18 points, 17 rebounds (yes, 17 rebounds for a PG) and 20 assists. His play was remarkable. In reference to the box score from the game, teammate Kevin Garnett said he would “save this just as a witness that [he] was here.”

After all, those numbers are anything but common. A 15 point, 20 assist, 15 rebound game had only been recorded twice before today, and that was by Oscar Robinson and Wilt Chamberlin. Talk about good company.

As a Celtics fan, what I’m about to write is going to hurt.

Rondo’s time as a Celtic has run its course. If GM Danny Ainge and the basketball minds in Boston were smart, they would be shipping him away while his stock is at an all-time high.

Now here me out before you scroll down to the comment box to voice your displeasure. I don’t like the move either, but it needs to happen.

I live in Houston. I have seen firsthand what can happen to a franchise when they keep a star just a little too long. Remember the talks about a trade involving Tracy McGrady and Luther Head (who?) for Kobe Bryant? Kobe was in a bit of a slump and McGrady was playing out of his mind. The talks eventually died out however, Kobe put more rings on his finger and the Rockets are now enjoying basketball mediocrity.

The Celtics would catch a lot of heat from their fans if they sent Rondo packing. But whatever they got in return could make them look smart down the road.

Utah, the Lakers or even the Blazers could come with the pieces to make the deal work. The Celtics could make a deal to stay competitive this year and give them cap flexibility for the future when KG and Ray Allen's deals expire.

Other than trading away your star a year early rather than a year late, there are a couple of other reasons why the C’s should pull the trigger.

After today’s game Rondo’s stock is the highest it's been all season He has always been known to not be a dominant scorer, but when he is putting up rebound and assist numbers like he is I don’t know of a team in the league that wouldn’t be able to sacrifice that small point production.

You are never going to get more for Rondo than you will right now. It’s a lot smarter for an organization to get rid of Rondo and the baggage he brings to get multiple players in return.

This brings me to my last point. Players like to feel that they belong on the team they are at. Regardless of his production and that the Celtics say they want to keep him, the fact of the matter is that deep down both sides feel they aren’t a match long term. What happens when his contract runs out and he leaves Boston for nothing in return?

This roster was supposed to chase a championship for two or three years. They succeeded and even got a ring. The big mistake they made was holding on to those aging superstars after they had achieved what they were meant to achieve.

Instead, they kept chasing after that one last ring. Now they have an aging roster that despite playing well now, has no chance to beat the Heat, Bulls or Thunder in a seven-game series. They would be run out of the building.

I love the Celtics. I would hate to see Rondo wearing another jersey. But to avoid going back to the days before the Big Three and chasing lottery picks the Celtics need to make a move. Nobody wants an aged superstar past his prime, they want a guy that can come in and lead them to a ring. Rondo is that guy, but the pieces surrounding him in Boston may not be able to provide him the help he needs in a long-term playoff run.

Most fans will say give it one last shot. I would love to be proved wrong here and see another banner rise into the rafters for Boston. It isn’t going to happen.

Make the move Celtics. Let Rondo go and help a team win a ring this year. It’s the best way to make sure you’ll be in his way of a championship for years to come.