Deron Williams or Rajon Rondo: Which NBA Point Guard Will Change Teams First?
It's not a good time to be a point guard looking to be traded.
It's hard to say whether Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics or Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets actually want out, but it's just a difficult market either way.
Only a few teams may be interested in either player, and with that being the case, it's difficult to imagine any team offering something more than 50 cents on the dollar to the Celtics or Nets.
But as has been the case for quite some time with Rondo, and more recently with Williams, trade rumors will live on. After winning a championship with the Celtics and watching every piece of that team go elsewhere, it only makes sense that Rondo is predicted to leave a rebuilding team entering the final year of his contract.
And with Williams struggling mightily in Brooklyn and largely unable to stay healthy because of those nagging ankle injuries, his giant salary may be the first thing Brooklyn decides to move if it all starts to come apart.
Here's Howard Beck at Bleacher Report with more on Williams:
"It's hard to say what the Nets might get for a former All-Star with bad ankles and $63 million left on his contract, but it's worth exploring. The Houston Rockets tried to acquire Williams last December, so it's not inconceivable that another team desperate for point-guard help might inquire.
The Nets' rise began with Williams' arrival. Their future hopes may depend on his departure.
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The biggest challenge in moving Williams is that max salary that runs through the 2016-17 season. Williams absolutely hasn't been worth that lately, and his durability is a huge question mark.
The incentive to trade Williams is there for Brooklyn. Both Brook Lopez's and Joe Johnson's massive deals come of the books after the 2015-16 season, so the Nets could have loads of cap room to play with in the 2016 offseason if they find a home for Williams.
From the sound of it, Williams might be amenable to changing locations, especially since it doesn't seem that Brooklyn has any realistic chance of competing for a title. Here's what Williams recently told Resident Magazine about living in New York:
"I’m not going to lie. I don’t really feel so much like a New Yorker. I grew up in an apartment in Texas where you could send your kids outside like ‘yeah, go play in the sun.’ Here it’s more challenging. The process of getting them into school is a nightmare. Even private schools where you pay are an ordeal. In Utah, you just send your kids to the first public school in the area because they’re all great. Truth is, we enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle and going back to Utah every summer.
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Again, even if Williams wants out, the suitors should be limited and the massive salary will make things difficult.
What about Rondo? His deal is up after this year, and he's one of the more affordable stars out there with a salary of $12.9 million this season.
Of course there are complications here as well. Rondo has been involved in trade rumors for years and years now, and Celtics GM Danny Ainge has always held on to him. Still, with free agency looming, now might be the time to cash in.
On the topic of trading Rajon Rondo, Hall of Fame sportswriter Jackie MacMullan said this on ESPN's Around the Horn:
"Oh, I hope so. Just get it done. And it will happen because he's told them he wants out. And no one believes me, but that's the truth."
Of course, as is the nature of these sorts of things, conflicting reports on Rondo's desire to leave this year have come out.
Here's Sean Deveney of the Sporting News:
"For Rajon Rondo, little has changed. He and those around him have long held that his intention for the final two years of his contract with Boston is to play out the deal, first showing that he is healthy after returning from ACL surgery last year, then bouncing back into All-Star form this year as he heads into 2015 free agency.
Thus, sources on both sides disputed the suggestion that emerged this weekend that Rondo had requested a trade from the Celtics — it is still his intention to play out his contract in Boston, and it’s still the Celtics intention to begin the season with him as the starting point guard.
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Most likely, any team trading for Rondo will need to be assured that the point guard will re-sign with them long term in the offseason. That's always risky business, and it would seemingly eliminate teams in need of a point guard like the Milwaukee Bucks from sacrificing future assets for a player who could walk. Rondo won't be traded for if he's just a rental.
With all that being said, here's guessing that neither player is dealt this season. Williams will likely have to prove he can stay healthy for a full season and improve his play remarkably before he's a real threat to be a trade acquisition, and Boston may be holding out hope that it can re-sign Rondo in the offseason and bring in quality players around him.
If you had to guess who will leave first, though, Rondo is the safer bet. He's on an expiring contract and could easily hit free agency and choose his next destination. There are less hoops to jump through then there are with Williams, and for that reason, Rondo is more likely to change uniforms first.
