6/23 Update: The C’s have reportedly offered Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen to the Detroit Pistons.
Yes, according to HoopsWorld.
Off the record, we have several sources telling us that Ray Allen is, indeed, on the block. It’s easy to make the leap, as the Celtics have managed to develop some nice young talent around their Big Three while also managing to win a championship. They might have even repeated had Kevin Garnett been healthy. It’s not a stretch to say the Celtics would part with Allen, who has an ending contract next season, if they could add another top young player to the mix.
On the record we have an added wrinkle – one that we thought to be highly unlikely until we found it reported with a quote attributed to Celtics GM Danny Ainge. It seems the Celtics are willing to package Rajon Rondo with Allen to make the right deal happen
“He’s stubborn,” Ainge told ESPN’s Jackie MacMullen. “He doesn’t always take direction well. He’s very bright and knows what he needs to do to be successful. But sometimes he doesn’t understand what the team needs to be successful.”
Doc Rivers expressed similar sentiments, which he directed at Rondo himself earlier this season.
“Do you know your teammates hate playing with you? … The point guard has to be the guy that brings energy to the team. You can’t be the guy that sucks it away. Your moodiness is affecting us. Change it.”
At the same time, Rondo has guys like Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins saying he’s their leader and they believe in him. And while there is a great deal to be said for patience and seeing if Rondo will improve as much next season as he did in 2008-09, there is certainly a lot of negativity coming from the decision-makers – enough to fuel trade speculation.
Wow. That’s the first I’ve heard about any problems with Rondo’s attitude.
It’s shocking to me that Danny Ainge is thinking about breaking up the core that won a championship less than a year ago. It’s not like they had the same group this season and failed to advance. They missed the Conference Finals (and probably the Finals) because Kevin Garnett missed the playoffs with a knee injury. You’d think that Ainge would be focused on getting everyone healthy enough to make another run, not thinking about trading away two of his starters.
If you read the actual article that Doc’s quote came from, you’d realize that he’s PRAISING Rondo… for how far he’s come, because that quote wasn’t directed at Rondo earlier this season. It was about Rondo’s attitude his ROOKIE year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/columns/story?columnist
=macmullan_jackie&page=Rondo-090423
Bad journalism. Hoopsworld is totally taking quotes out of context.
hoover — Actually, I just skimmed the article and don’t see Rivers praising Rondo at all. He was talking about his rookie season, that part is true, but I didn’t see any quotes from Rivers saying how far Rondo has come. And then there are Ainge’s quotes towards the end, which refer to present-day Rondo, and they’re not positive.
That would be a STUPID move on Ainges’ part, Rondo is the cornerstone of life without the big three!
I don’t think that ray or rondo should be traded. You can’t take away a part of the big 3! And Ray is an amazing shooter and if the celtics had KG back they have a possibility at another title. And if they trade rondo, who will be there point guard, and rondo is younge and quick and taking him away would be horrible!!
Honestly, I feel that Rondo is slightly overrated and his stock will never be higher than it is now. If they can find a good trade then I say pull the trigger. But dont trade Allen..there’s no way you can get equal value and his shooting was critical to the Celtics winning the championship in 2008.
I like the idea of trading Rondo at the peak of his value to whoever has the second pick (or plans to take Ricky Rubio).
Much like Rondo, Rubio is a unique blossoming talent with a tremendous upside, superior leadership skills at the point, along with tenacity and high b-ball I.Q ala Larry. Ask Gasol.
Unlike Rondo, he tends not to hold the ball as long assessing the “O” and sqaundering much of the 24 second clock. And he’d come cheap compared to much more expensive and well-deserved contract Rondo will command…Trade Ray at your peril… remember Joe Johnson !!!
No trades! BTW, Are the Lakers the ugliest team in the history of the NBA? Llama-man and monkey-face lead the pack.
that bull!!!! Doc told Rondo his teammates hated playing with him in 07, not earlier this season.
Rubio is as overhyped and untested as they come! Rondo has proven himself on the world’s biggest basketball stage, and sorry to say, that is NOT the olympics. He has become the leader of a team with 3 GUARANTEED future HOFers.
i think they should trade rondo. rondo is great but for some reason it seems him and ray allen or kevin don’t get along.
btw, lakers are hot. sorry but kobe is good looking and so is trevor and sasha ( i know he can’t play basketball but he is cute)