Rajon Rondo Says He Wants to Remain with Boston Celtics Long-Term

Rajon Rondo knows what he wants. 

Now it's up to the Boston Celtics to figure out what they want.

Speaking with reporters at the Celtics' media day on Monday, the All-Star point guard declared his loyalty to the city of Boston, per The Boston Globe's Baxter Holmes: 

Rumors have swirled about in recent months and weeks, which makes Rondo's sound bite all the more valuable.

This comes straight from the floor general's mouth. No gimmicks, no anonymous sources, no lines to read between. Just Rondo, talking about his unequivocal desire to remain in Boston, absolving himself from forthcoming chatter that might portray him as unhappy, shifting the burden of decision-making onto the Celtics.

There's no telling what Rondo's future holds. But if he wants to stay, it's now on the Celtics to sever ties or keep them intact. And if it's the latter they prefer, well, it's going to cost them:

Nothing like convoluting an already complicated situation.

The market for point guards can only be described as weird. Expensive contracts aren't handed out as readily because there are so many talented floor generals (see Kyle Lowry and Isaiah Thomas). At the same time, they are not unheard of (see Eric Bledsoe). 

Everything comes down to how much the Celtics value Rondo internally, which is a conundrum in itself.

Putting an exact price on his head is impossible at this point. He appeared in just 30 games last season after recovering from an ACL injury, and his recurrent bouts with health haven't yet ended, per Holmes:

Amid trade rumors, injuries and towering contract demands, how are the Celtics supposed to render any kind of verdict on Rondo's future?

As Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal detailed when discussing Rondo's broken hand, they aren't: 

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As of now, 'tenuous' is still the word of choice when describing Rondo's status with the Celtics. The trade rumors are going to pop up incessantly now, but there's still too much uncertainty swirling around the organization for anything to become even remotely definitive.

Until a certain rookie point guard (Marcus Smart) shows what he can do during his first go-round in the Association, the smart decision for every party involved is to hold tight, remain patient and see what develops.

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The status quo won't change until the Celtics get a better feel for the player Rondo is when he returns. The only thing in store for now is lots and lots of waiting commingled with some rumor-mill surfing. 

For what it's worth, the Celtics haven't ruled anything out. Not even, it seems, offering Rondo a max deal, according to the MetroWest Daily News' Scott Souza:

"Fair" doesn't imply one direction. It's an admission that Rondo isn't being ridiculous. Beyond that, there's nothing more to do or see here.

Resolution will be reached in due time. Until then, we wait.

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