The Boston Celtics have struggled out of the gate with just seven wins to show through their first 20 games and major changes could be right around the corner. The Celtics have to make sure they do everything they can to reload and become a legitimate playoff team again, and that means getting the most out of the pieces that aren’t part of their future plans through trades.
The one name that has been talked about for a couple of years now but is almost certainly going to be on the move this year is star point guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo has played sparingly over the past two seasons because of injury. With plenty of interest coming from other organizations, and because his contract is up after this season, it’s likely that Boston will finally move him. The New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings could be teams that make a pitch for Rondo but the most likely trade destination is still the Los Angeles Lakers.
New York Knicks
The Knicks would love to add a player of Rondo’s skill set to help run their offense and help get the ball in the hands of their star(s). The switch to the triangle offense under first-year head coach Derek Fisher has resulted in an absolute mess in New York and they could end up really benefiting from the addition of a player like Rondo.
The Knicks have some decent trade chips when it comes to draft picks and perhaps even a young player like Iman Shumpert could help the Celtics both now and in their immediate future. Rondo isn’t going to hang around in Boston for much longer but he would provide a huge boost to Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks current position with a trade to New York. The only question in this spot is whether the Knicks have enough attractive assets to acquire Rondo.
Sacramento Kings
Another team that could be in the market for a player like Rondo is Sacramento as we heard plenty of rumors about their interest in him before the season got underway. The Kings showed signs of being a very good team when they got off to a hot start but they have really slowed down over the past couple of weeks. Whether or not that has any impact on their desire to get a deal done will be interesting to watch.
Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro has been very aggressive since taking over and Rondo would undoubtedly bring out the best from a roster that already includes Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins. Sacramento has plenty of young pieces and draft picks they could include in a potential deal, and it wouldn’t be a shock if they made a strong push for another accomplished star.
Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe & Rondo grabbed breakfast in Boston. KB loves him. LAL could probably get RR for two 1sts + Nash expiring deal. pic.twitter.com/PYeEt0zI04
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) December 4, 2014
The final likely destination spot for Rondo – and arguably the most likely of the three – is the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would get the chance to play with Kobe Bryant.
Kobe and Rondo recently had breakfast and, when those photos went viral, both players admitted they would like to play with one another. Rondo would be the perfect fit for a Lakers offense where his passing ability would be a huge add and there is little doubt Kobe would love to have a true playmaker that can get the ball to him.
Los Angeles isn’t a contender now but the addition of Rondo and perhaps a couple of key offseason additions could have them in the mix to be a playoff team in 2015 as they look to salvage the final couple of years that Kobe has to offer them. It seems as though the consensus now is that Rondo will be moved before the trade deadline and while New York and Sacramento are two likely destinations it seems as though Los Angeles would make the most sense for both sides.
