There's a huge difference between adding significant value to this collection of Celtics, and adding huge value to someone else's team.
Again, the issue isn't whether Rondo is a quality point guard. He is.
The issue is that the evidence is mounting that he is a poor fit with this current collection of Celtics. For those of you who focus on individuals rather than the Celtic franchise, be mad at Ainge. He's the one who assembled this group.
Rondo needs to be surrounded by big-time scorers to be at his most effective. Imagine him running the Heat.
He isn't surrounded by anything like that in Boston, like he once was. As Pierce, Garnett and Allen declined, so did Rondo's value to this franchise.
The evidence is growing: Rondo is no longer a good fit in Boston. Doesn't mean he has no value elsewhere; in fact, it means there's conceivably a match with another team in search of his kind of game.
Ainge can and should aggressively market him in the off-season. It's the best thing for Rondo, and the best thing for the Celtics.
See coachbo's post below yours for my explanation as to why trading Rondo would make sense and why a trade where Boston gets good return would be feasible.
I think there were a number of trades at the deadline involving the Hawks that would have made sense for Rondo. Lou Williams and Jeff Teague straight up would have made a lot of sense if Atlanta wanted to keep Smith that would have been a good way to help entice him to stay. A 3-way trade with Phoenix, Atlanta, and Boston where Boston essentially traded rondo, lee, terry, and bass for lou williams, teague, dudley, and beasley would have made a lot of sense for the 3 teams involved (dragic, gortat, and smith were also in the trade).
I think this summer there will be options out there where Boston trades Rondo to a team for a lottery pick in the draft and some other pieces if there is someone Ainge really likes. Orlando and New Orleans seem like places that might want a guy like Rondo to run their teams and they all have the salaries to make a draft day trade work, plus at least one lottery pick and/or recent lottery picks to trade. Charlotte has Kemba Walker and 2 lottery picks, not to mention Gordon's salary. I think a reasonable trade would be Gordon, Walker, and the Blazers pick for Rondo and Sullinger (or something like that).
It is just too bad the Thunder don't have a need for Rondo as they have a lot of draft picks coming their way as a result of the Harden trade.
There will be plenty of trades out there that make sense for the acquiring team and where Boston still gets solid value back. It won't be Rondo the player value, but it won't be chump change either.
@Coachbo Firstly, I completely understand your point, I just happen to disagree entirely. But I realize that some of the people here weren't arguing thee quality of Rondo, but rather his fit/role on this team. My point was more for those arguing that his he was overhyped and not a great point guard (although in hindsight I'd be better off leaving those people to argue amongst themselves).
No Rondo isn't surrounded by big time scorers, but he is surrounded by several quality scorers whose ability he can maximize by facilitating their individual strengths. As the team is currently constructed, they have very good pieces but few players who are going to be consistently outstanding. Rondo's particular skill set fits well with that team dynamic because he can help guys maximize their potential by getting the ball to them in the right spots and making it easier for them to succeed with the tools they have, but he can also still take over a game on his own when no one else is stepping up.
Yes he would benefit from playing with a team that has "big-time scorers", but those guys are dubbed big-time scorers because they have the ability to score without needing a guy like Rondo to get them the ball in the right spots. They can do it anywhere, any time, they just have that talent. Where Rondo can truly add value is by putting guys that don't have that kind of ability in the best position to succeed. Thats what we have seen from him in the past.
But hey, thats just my opnion I can't say that he wouldn't be better off on a team with elite scorers because we haven't seen him play with guys like that (caveat: early on in the first year/2 of the big 3 era he did have that talent around him but he wasn't running the show like he does now). What I can say is that we've seen him have tremendous success in the past with a similar cast of characters as the ones presently on the roster and I think so many things were going poorly early on this season that its unfair to characterize his fit with this team based on their early play. I think most everyone (except Bass) has improved as time has gone on.
@Celtics18 Personally i don't think I'd make any of those trades you've suggested, certainly not the Hawks trade or the one that involves the Suns as well, although I'll admit I would discuss Eric Gordon and a lottery pick and see what might work there. And I don't doubt that there would be several trades that could bring back decent value. But thats obviously because I have a very different view of Rondo's fit with the Celtics than you and Coachbo, so I probably value his ability here more than the two of you would given that you both see his style being more suited for another team.
As I said above I see Rondo as a guy who can make a team like the Celtics, that lacks the star power and fire power to take on the likes of the Heat and the Thunder, have the ability to win on any given night because of what he can do to help other guys play to their best. So while yes we could potentially move him for some quality pieces that would help us play in a different style that may suit our current group better, I just can't imagine giving him up for any offer that didn't blow my socks off. He has the potential to be the cornerstone for an organization for many years to come and with KG and PP certainly in the last years of their careers Rondo is going to be a guy I want to build around.