NBA Trade Rumors: Rajon Rondo for Chris Paul Wouldn't Work for Celtics

The hottest rumor around the NBA right now, according to Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated, is the possibility of a Rajon Rondo-for-Chris Paul trade that would place the 26-year-old Paul with three potential Hall of Famers in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

It’s a bad move for the Celtics in the same way trading Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green last season was a bad move. The chemistry of the four core players can’t be replaced overnight and the dynamics of the entire offense would have to be drastically altered.

Rondo is a pass-first point guard that could care less about scoring points. He has averaged a mere nine shot attempts per game over the course of his career and that’s just fine with him. That’s what happens when you dish out over 11 assists a game like he did a season ago.

Chris Paul is a more complete player, but that also means he will require more shots in the offense. Right now that’s not how it works in Beantown. Sure, Paul could fit in and play unselfishly but you have to remember that CP3 has always been the star of his team. He’s not used to deferring to other players on the court or in the locker room.

Defensively the trade would be a wash. Both have ultra-quick hands and extremely swift feet. Well, almost. Don’t forget about the knee surgery Paul has under his belt. It didn’t affect him one bit last season, but who knows when those sort of injuries will act up again. Just ask Garnett.

So while on paper it sounds like the greatest deal ever for Boston, remember that there are a lot more important aspects to an NBA team than how many points they score every night. I haven’t even mentioned how the Celtics could absorb the extra $5 million to $6 million in salary difference between the two.

Chris Paul is a great player in New Orleans and Rajon Rondo is a great player in Boston. Keep it that way.