The Boston Celtics could still look into the possibility of trading All-Star playmaker Rajon Rondo, veteran NBA writer David Aldridge stated in his recent article on NBA.com.
Aldridge, who has been a respected insider in the league for decades, believed the Celtics will still try to trade Rondo next season before he becomes an unrestricted free-agent in the summer of 2015.
The Celtics acquired Marcus Thornton in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets and drafted Marcus Smart and James Young last June, giving them a surpass of personnel in the backcourt. The Celtics have also re-signed Avery Bradley to a four-year, $32 million deal and are expected to bring in swingman Evan Turner.
With this moves by the Celtics, Aldridge is convinced general manager Danny Ainge will eventually make necessary trades to give them more assets. The Celtics have seven first round draft picks for the next four seasons, giving them leverage to speed up their rebuilding by flipping these assets into impact players or future cornerstones of the team.
"Ainge couldn't engage the Wolves in Kevin Love talk, but he managed to add numerous assets without dealing Rajon Rondo. Yet. With Smart the obvious heir apparent for Boston at the point, Ainge can now take his time and make the best deal for Rondo he can. The Celtics will likely have to move one of their surplus of guards before the season starts, but they'll be dealing from a position of strength."
"Bradley may have been a little overpaid considering the team's standing, but he's a terrific defender and certainly worth retaining. Most important to Boston's future, the Cs got another future first in the three-team deal that brought Thornton from Brooklyn; Boston has at least seven first-round picks outright in the next four years."
Moreover, the Celtics will have a ton of cap space heading next year. The team could easily facilitate a blockbuster trade or sign a max contract player with this advantage.
"Combined with the significant cap room that's just around the corner, Boston could rebuild in a hurry -- especially with the potential of a Smart-Young backcourt developing in the coming years," Aldridge stated in his report.
For Aldridge, Rondo remains the Celtics' best trade chip because they could command a hefty price to teams interested in acquiring the two-time assist champion.
The Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors and the Detroit Pistons have all expressed their interest in having an excellent playmaker like Rondo, but the ball is still on Ainge's court.
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