Rajon Rondo Trade Rumors: Guard Not Being Shopped, Celtics Doing Damage Control

Boston Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge is doing his best job of damage control on the swirling trade rumor surrounding point guard Rajon Rondo.

After reports leaked that the Celtics were looking to deal Rondo in a package in exchange for Chris Paul, the team stood by its starting point guard at the introductory press conference on Thursday morning.

Ainge was asked point blank if he was looking to trade his point guard, to which he responded, "I'm not."

What else did we expect him to say?

The Celtics can deny the rampant rumors surrounding Rondo with a strong intensity, but that doesn't mean that they're not true.

It's become very clear that Ainge might not view Rondo as "the guy" to build the next team around, and that's a decision he's going to have to have to make a determination on sooner rather than later with the aging core on Boston's roster.

With Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen both only under contract through the end of the season and Paul Pierce not exactly getting any younger, the Celtics need to make a determination on Rondo's future and what he means to the club for the long haul.

There are plenty of swirling rumors every season that never actually wind up happening, but with Rondo appearing in multiple reports, the Celtics are at least gauging interest in what might be out there in return.

Boston would be foolish to deal Rondo just for the sake of trading him, but the team has made it understood that that's not the case. The only way the club would consider a Rondo deal is if the end return is an improvement at the point guard position, and there aren't many to be had.

After it was reported that CP3 would be unwilling to sign a long-term contract extension with the Celtics, the club doesn't really have a more attractive alternative to target on the trade market.

The biggest problem for Boston is that the club simply doesn't have the assets to offer in a trade outside of Rondo.

A straight-up deal of Rondo for another (arguably more talented) point guard like Paul or Russell Westbrook isn't going to cut it. Outside of that, the team just doesn't have much to offer a potentially interested club.

Now, Ainge and the Celtics have to to do their best job of convincing Rondo that he's not actively being shopped, despite several indications otherwise.

Good luck.