Boston Celtics Trade Rumors: Failure to Make a Deal Would Be Disastrous
The Boston Celtics are telling us that they are not about to move Rajon Rondo before the NBA trade deadline, but that just doesn't make any sense.
ESPN's Chad Ford breaks down the most likely impact players to be moved by next week's deadline. At the top of the heap is Rajon Rondo, a player the Celtics' president of basketball operations Danny Ainge states is off limits.
Ford begs to differ and has this to say from his Insider column.
"I know the Celtics are saying Rondo isn't going anywhere. But there are two problems with that. (1) It doesn't jibe with what a number of NBA GMs are saying based on conversations they've had with Celtics president Danny Ainge. (2) Ainge isn't stupid. He doesn't want to trade Rondo, but Rondo is the best chip he has to play right now.
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This comes on the heels of Ainge telling The Boston Herald that Rondo's move is not a foregone conclusion by any means.
"I know 99.9 percent of the NBA believes these trade rumors, but I think other general managers know how we feel about him. I've had some calls, but nothing is imminent for anyone on our team right now.
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It sounds like Ainge is not the least bit positive that Rondo will be back next season, though he puts the best face on the situation by seemingly locking down Rondo as a Celtics player.
Boston has been playing much better as of late, and had a five-game winning streak before it was snapped by the 76ers on Wednesday.
They are still not contenders, and are far from a team that is built to win this season, especially when you consider how deep the Heat are right now.
Ford continues with what he sees as the problem of not moving Rondo, and I couldn't agree more.
"If Ainge waits and does nothing, the Celtics will be a middling lottery team without much hope next season...He doesn't want to go back there. If he can get two pieces back for Rondo, I think he'll do it.
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Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett remain as trade pieces, but their age would hardly bring back the sort of players the Celtics can build a bright future around.
The best way for the Celtics to guarantee future success is by trading in the aging roster with a youthful one, and Rondo would bring back the most in a trade.
It's as simple as that.
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