NBA Trade Rumors: Boston Celtics Will Cripple Franchise If They Rent Chris Paul

Danny Ainge has lost his damn mind.

He has an unhealthy obsession with acquiring Chris Paul and now is reportedly willing to trade for him with absolutely no guarantee he will sign an extension to play for his Boston Celtics beyond this season.

What is the point of killing the franchise’s immediate future for a point guard who is barely an upgrade at the position?

Sure, he said he has “no intentions” of trading Rajon Rondo, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t pull the trigger given the chance to land the New Orleans Hornets superstar.

Why would he give up one of the greatest pure point guards in the league with an incredibly cap friendly contract to get CP3 on a one-year rental?

Does he really think that he will fall in love with Boston and want to stay? Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, two of the Celtics’ Big Three, also have contracts about to expire and the team is not going to look anywhere near the same after the 2012-13 offseason.

Rondo has four years left on his deal for just $46 million and that is a bargain for the production they will get out of him and his ability to stay healthy, something Paul hasn’t been able to do.

Ainge needs to build his team around their current star and stop dreaming about adding Paul to his roster. It’s not like Rondo’s play was the reason the Celtics lost to the Heat in the playoffs last year and Paul wouldn’t have pushed them through.

Josh Smith, the Atlanta Hawks forward, said it best.

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“Rajon didn’t talk much about it but let me do it for him. It’s mind-boggling to me to see people talking about getting rid of a player who damn-near broke his arm during the playoffs last year for his team and kept playing. We’re talking about arguably the best player in the playoffs for his team energy-wise, defensively and offensively.

It’s a sick joke. For anyone to talk about getting rid of him, one of the elite point guards in this league and a true point who passes first and shoots second … it just reminds me of what I already knew, that the NBA is strictly a business.”

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Rondo was easily the best Celtics player in the playoffs this season and has been their best player overall for the past two seasons.

They need a big man in the middle to replace Kendrick Perkins and Ainge needs to stop trying to concoct crazy, dynasty-killing deals by looking to give up long-term assets for a one-year rental of a point guard that is marginally better than their own at best.