Celtics Trade Rumors: Boston Would Be Foolish to Deal Rajon Rondo

The Boston Celtics are reportedly open to dealing star point guard Rajon Rondo in the "right deal," according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.

Broussard tweeted on Tuesday:

"

Sources say Boston willing to trade injured PG Rajon Rondo in right deal. Wizards looking to move Jordan Crawford.

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) February 20, 2013"

Whether or not the Celtics deal Rondo before the Feb. 21 trade deadline, the fact that they are even considering it is hard to fathom.

Sure, the 26-year-old has had his fair share of squabbles with head coach Doc Rivers and, sure, he's coming off ACL surgery, but the fact of the matter is, he's the only young star currently on the Celtics' roster. What happens when Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are gone?

Rondo's value to the Celtics—now and in the future—is simply too great to get rid of him. You simply have to make it work. I believe Rivers is one of the few head coaches in the NBA who can make it work with the temperamental persona that is Rajon Rondo.

Rondo earned his fourth All-Star selection this year. He averaged 13.7 points, 11.1 assists (first in the NBA), 5.6 rebounds (first among point guards) and 1.8 steals (ninth in the NBA) while shooting 48 percent from the field (third among point guards) before partially tearing his ACL. He posted 10 or more assists in 27 of his 38 games.

There are legitimate concerns that Rondo will never become the leader of a championship squad. He can be inconsistent, even pouty. But it's a team game—before long, the Celtics are going to need to find some more young stars regardless. Rondo can still be a secondary star and be a big part of a title-contending team, as he showed in the 2009 and 2011 campaigns.

If the Celtics trade Rondo away, they may be left without a young star when Garnett and Pierce leave town/retire. Say all you want about rebuilding, but it generally helps to have at least one star from the start to speed up the process.

Rondo is the last All-Star the Celtics should be trading away. He's certainly not perfect, but Boston cannot afford to lose him at this point.