NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics Would Be Crazy to Trade Rajon Rondo

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is no stranger to trade rumors. It's a song and dance that he's become familiar with during his five seasons with the franchise. Now, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard, there's whispers he might be moved for a bigger scoring threat, which would be an ill-advised move by Boston:

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While Boston is not shopping Rajon Rondo, it would be open to trading him in the right deal, sources say. The Celtics feel they need more scoring to take the load off Paul Pierce.

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Rondo might not have been his usual dynamic self for all 68 games he played last season, but he still managed to average 11 points, 11 assists and four rebounds while playing more than 37 minutes per game.

He's one of the elite defenders at the point guard position, he has played on two All-Star teams and his development was one of the main reasons Boston claimed the 2008 NBA Championship. The Celtics can't let all that get away just because The Truth is hitting the downslope of his career.

Instead of looking to trade Rondo, the Celtics should focus on building around him for the future. Pierce, along with his “Big Three” buddies Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, won't be around for much longer.

Trading away Rondo would just decrease the speed of Boston's rebuilding process.

Rebuilding probably isn't a word Celtic fans like to hear, but it's going to be a reality soon. When four-fifths of a team's projected starting lineup has as much mileage as theirs, it won't take long for Father Time to take over.

Even though the championship window hasn't closed, it's definitely begun to move in that direction. Boston can't complain about its success in recent seasons, but it may have created a monster by bringing three superstars together in search of a title.

Both the Miami Heat and New York Knicks are doing their best to emulate this strategy. If the Celtics don't retool and the Knicks add another marquee piece, those teams have the potential to rule the Eastern Conference roost for quite some time.

And retooling doesn't include trading Rondo. It means using him as a pillar of the team's new foundation.