The list of teams who would aggressively go after Rondo is shorter than you think. Rondo is a top 10 PG at this point (if he is 100%) and there are lots of teams out there who would be perfectly happy with the top 20 PG they already have... then there are teams like the Heat who don't really need a PG at all... and tanking teams who have no interest in trading for a veteran post-prime former all-star.
My crazy out-of-left-field wild guess is that Rondo ends up getting traded to the Indiana Pacers for a pennies-on-the-dollar package that will make you all very depressed, but will technically benefit us by being "addition by subtraction" and helping our big-picture lotto tanking efforts. I have no basis for this wild guess other than the fact that it always ends up being a team nobody expects... and the fact that Indiana is a team who would probably be willing to take a risk on Rondo... a player who could have a Sheed-to-Pistons scale-tipping impact on their fringe contender.
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Wild guess we include some awful contracts. Either Rondo + Wallace or Rondo + Bass + Lee... and we take back Granger's expiring contract + maybe George Hill (who we could ship to a 3rd team) and some draft picks.
It makes zero sense. It's admittedly nuts. But since nobody else will do it, I'll guess Rondo-to-the-Pacers.
That actually makes a fair bit of sense. Indiana's the only team that has the potential to make noise in the playoffs that desperately needs an upgrade at the point.
It would certainly make sense for the Pacers.
If we're really in the dregs of a lost season later this year, it'd make sense for us too.
Rondo + Wallace for Granger and Paul George passes the trade machine. That seems the most appealing to me from Indiana's perspective.
I've made posts earlier in the offseason saying I think Rondo and the Pacers would be a great fit. Though I don't think it works for the Celtics (unless their sole purpose was to cut salary).
The way it works is a 3 way trade. Granger would fit nicely on a lot of teams, just not the Celtics. Young teams trying to make the playoffs and appease their current stars/fan base (Minnesota, Portland, Cleveland, Sacramento, Charlotte, Washington, Utah) or even more veteran teams hoping to move from playoff team to contender (Houston, Atlanta, LAL, Dallas).
Now couldn't the 3rd team just trade straight up with the Celtics for Rondo instead of Granger? They could, but I think in most of those cases the 3rd team already has a strong PG and would be better off upgrading their SF position instead.
Now couldn't the 3rd team wait and sign Granger in the offseason? Not sure of everybody's cap position, but how many teams would actually have the cap room necessary to offer Granger market value in the offseason? Trading for him would let the teams get around that, and also offer him more money and years (if they wanted). I think free agents of Granger's caliber rarely change teams in free agency when being offered more money/years from their current team. Those small market teams need all the help they can get to sign free agents, acquiring him early and making the playoffs could really help the Minnseota's, Charlotte's, and Sacromento's of the world re-sign him.
Now why would the Celtics do it? For any possible number of reasons: they want to cut salary, they don't want to build around Rondo, they want to totally rebuild and acquire more prospects, the chance to package other less desirable contracts in the deal, etc.
Pacers get Rondo (and Pacers would also probably need to move George Hill either in this deal, or a separate deal).
Team X gets Granger
Celtics get some combination of prospects/picks/cap room
That's the way I see it going down if the Celtics decided to trade Rondo.
