Rumor: Asking price for Rondo said to be two unprotected first rounders

[Roy H.]

This clearly had to be team specific.  Why would a contender not give up two unprotected first?  This had to be a team in the lottery called Danny and he gave his price for them.

In that event it must have been Orlando or Sac, right?

They are the only teams I can find who need a PG and have attractive picks to move.

We've been talking about Sac as a possible destination for Rondo all year, as well.

Sacramento's #1 is tied up for a few seasons; Cleveland owns the pick, with some heavy protections.

Where is this information?   The place I just checked (RealGM) shows Sac's 2014 pick owed to Chicago, but it's top 12 protected.

Yeah, sorry.  Cleveland traded that pick to Chicago in the Deng deal.

Ultimately, the pick is likely to turn out to be a second rounder, as it's top-12 protected this year and top-10 protected through 2017 (when it converts to a #2). 

That basically means that, as of right now, Sacramento can't trade its #1 until 2019.

[Boris Badenov]

This clearly had to be team specific.  Why would a contender not give up two unprotected first?  This had to be a team in the lottery called Danny and he gave his price for them.

In that event it must have been Orlando or Sac, right?

They are the only teams I can find who need a PG and have attractive picks to move.

We've been talking about Sac as a possible destination for Rondo all year, as well.

Sacramento's #1 is tied up for a few seasons; Cleveland owns the pick, with some heavy protections.

Where is this information?   The place I just checked (RealGM) shows Sac's 2014 pick owed to Chicago, but it's top 12 protected.

Did Cleveland include it in the Deng deal?

Here's the full description:

2014 first round draft pick to Chicago
Sacramento's 1st round pick to Chicago (via Cleveland) protected for selections 1-12 in 2014, 1-10 in 2015, 1-10 in 2016 or 1-10 in 2017; if Sacramento has not conveyed a 1st round pick to Chicago by 2017, then Sacramento will instead convey its 2017 2nd round pick to Chicago protected for selections 56-60 (if this pick falls within its protected range and is therefore not conveyed, then Sacramento's obligation to Chicago will be extinguished) [Cleveland- Sacramento, 6/30/2011 and then Chicago-Cleveland, 1/7/2014]

Now, my understanding is that this is not a total roadblock. Sacramento could send us the rights in the 1-12 range, as long as we send them *back* a pick so they don't violate the Stepien rule. I think the Clips 2015 pick would do that.

[LarBrd33]

Anyone know if this guy is a credible source? https://twitter.com/basketballnxt1

I doubt it. Suns would need more outgoing salary then just okafor and Alex Len to get both pau gasol and Jeff green. Also hard for me to see Ainge sending Rondo to the lakers.

That be a crazy three team deal tho.

Not every idiot with a twitter feed needs to be taken seriously.  Lots of people like to make up fake rumors.

I'd say it's clear he's just some Celtic fan trying to drum up nonsense and playing with the trade machine.

He's got the following trade happening.

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=k7srkrb

Lakers get:  Rondo (12 mil), Okafor's expiring (14.5 mil)

Celtics get:  Len (3.5 mil), Frye (6.4 mil), Nash (9.3 mil), Lakers 2014 unprotected 1st.  Suns 2015 unprotected 1st. 

Suns get:  Pau (19.3 mil), Green (8.7 mil)


The fact that he has us getting Len and the Lakers pick makes it highly likely he's just a Celtic fan.

From the Laker perspective, however, this would actually work for them... it would leave them with enough cap space to chase Melo/LeBron this offseason. 

Whoever that Celtic fan is... I give him credit for creativity.

[obnoxiousmime]

Zack Lowe confirmed on his twitter that he's heard the same as Sam Smith. So there's some "confirmation" from a more legitimate source.

I think that just because Ainge is asking for that doesn't mean he won't settle for one pick (if it's closer to the lottery) and one promising young player. Or, a lesser pick if the team will take Wallace's deal as well.

Set the price high and negotiate your way down. Logical move by Ainge.

[hpantazo]

Don't know if the rumor has any cred at all, but getting a big man prospect like Len AND the lakers 2014 1st, which would give us two lottery picks in this draft, would be awesome.  Len and the lakers 1st is basically two 1sts.

[BleedGreen1989]

This clearly had to be team specific.  Why would a contender not give up two unprotected first?  This had to be a team in the lottery called Danny and he gave his price for them.

In that event it must have been Orlando or Sac, right?

They are the only teams I can find who need a PG and have attractive picks to move.

We've been talking about Sac as a possible destination for Rondo all year, as well.

Sacramento's #1 is tied up for a few seasons; Cleveland owns the pick, with some heavy protections.

Where is this information?   The place I just checked (RealGM) shows Sac's 2014 pick owed to Chicago, but it's top 12 protected.

Yeah, sorry.  Cleveland traded that pick to Chicago in the Deng deal.

Ultimately, the pick is likely to turn out to be a second rounder, as it's top-12 protected this year and top-10 protected through 2017 (when it converts to a #2). 

That basically means that, as of right now, Sacramento can't trade its #1 until 2019.

They could still trade the "rights" to whoever they draft with that pick on draft night though. Right?

[PaulAllen]

Makes sense -- that's what a healthy Jrue Holiday cost on draft day last summer.

The pick they got this year is top 5 protected. But yeah, basically. I would think a healthy Rondo would have the same trade value as Jrue if not more.

I still think its another smokesscreen but I can also believe it because 14-15 have significantly deep drafts and Ainge can lock and unload picks for bigger chips.. Holliday was dealt in a weaker draft

[PhoSita]

This clearly had to be team specific.  Why would a contender not give up two unprotected first?  This had to be a team in the lottery called Danny and he gave his price for them.

In that event it must have been Orlando or Sac, right?

They are the only teams I can find who need a PG and have attractive picks to move.

We've been talking about Sac as a possible destination for Rondo all year, as well.

Sacramento's #1 is tied up for a few seasons; Cleveland owns the pick, with some heavy protections.

Where is this information?   The place I just checked (RealGM) shows Sac's 2014 pick owed to Chicago, but it's top 12 protected.

Yeah, sorry.  Cleveland traded that pick to Chicago in the Deng deal.

Ultimately, the pick is likely to turn out to be a second rounder, as it's top-12 protected this year and top-10 protected through 2017 (when it converts to a #2). 

That basically means that, as of right now, Sacramento can't trade its #1 until 2019.

Hrm, I didn't realize it worked this way -- it's not possible for them to trade us the rights to the pick if it's top 12 (very likely) and have it become a couple of second rounders otherwise?

I guess even if they could do that, it would be too much of a risk for the Celtics.

[Q_FBE]

I am not buying this rumor at all. Trade Rondo for the other teams best player makes a lot more sense to me. Those two unprotected 1st rounders could be nothing more than a bag of Southwest Airlines peanuts.

[fairweatherfan]

I am not buying this rumor at all. Trade Rondo for the other teams best player makes a lot more sense to me. Those two unprotected 1st rounders could be nothing more than a bag of Southwest Airlines peanuts.

Nobody's going to want to trade their best player for Rondo, they'll want to put him alongside their best player. 

[Boris Badenov]

This clearly had to be team specific.  Why would a contender not give up two unprotected first?  This had to be a team in the lottery called Danny and he gave his price for them.

In that event it must have been Orlando or Sac, right?

They are the only teams I can find who need a PG and have attractive picks to move.

We've been talking about Sac as a possible destination for Rondo all year, as well.

Sacramento's #1 is tied up for a few seasons; Cleveland owns the pick, with some heavy protections.

Where is this information?   The place I just checked (RealGM) shows Sac's 2014 pick owed to Chicago, but it's top 12 protected.

Yeah, sorry.  Cleveland traded that pick to Chicago in the Deng deal.

Ultimately, the pick is likely to turn out to be a second rounder, as it's top-12 protected this year and top-10 protected through 2017 (when it converts to a #2). 

That basically means that, as of right now, Sacramento can't trade its #1 until 2019.

Hrm, I didn't realize it worked this way -- it's not possible for them to trade us the rights to the pick if it's top 12 (very likely) and have it become a couple of second rounders otherwise?

I guess even if they could do that, it would be too much of a risk for the Celtics.

I think they can do that as long as they end up with a 2014 or 2015 pick in return. Like I said above, I think the 2015 Clips pick would do it.

Else, if the pick is top-12 this year and out of the top 10 next year, SAC would be sending out picks in two consecutive years and they violate the Stepien rule.

[TwinTower14]

I am not buying this rumor at all. Trade Rondo for the other teams best player makes a lot more sense to me. Those two unprotected 1st rounders could be nothing more than a bag of Southwest Airlines peanuts.

Nobody's going to want to trade Rondo for their best player, they'll want to put him alongside their best player.

Right - if the C's are trading Rondo it defeats the purpose of bringing in a great player.  It would be a lateral move.  I don't think Rondo gets  moved until draft night.  I just don't see a team making a worth while deal for him right now...

[gpap]

Funny... people pooped on my idea of Rondo+Green+Wallace  to the Bobcats for Sessions/Ben Gordon's expiring contracts + Biyombo + MKG + Kemba + Portland's 2014 1st + Detroit's 2014 1st...

That's considerably more than Ainge is asking for here.   Two unprotected 1st rounders could mean Rondo to the Pistons for Charlie V's expiring, a 2015 "unprotected" pick and a 2017 "unprotected pick".

Why do you assume that the two picks need to be lottery?  All it says is "unprotected".  Heat could offer two unprotected picks if they wanted to.

I think Charlotte is giving up way too much in that scenario.  Take out Kemba and Biyombo and one of the picks, then perhaps they do it.

[BigAlTheFuture]

I am not buying this rumor at all. Trade Rondo for the other teams best player makes a lot more sense to me. Those two unprotected 1st rounders could be nothing more than a bag of Southwest Airlines peanuts.

No one ever trades their best player for another team's best player. It makes no sense. You're basically stuck in the same situation you were before the trade, except with a new player.

[TheFlex]

We definitely should be skeptical of the guy but to me it accomplishes the immediate and long term goals of all three teams involved.

Celtics: Rebuild primarily through the draft, establish a core heading into 2015, sign a big name to complete the rebuild (getting out from under Green's contract, not having to re-sign Rondo, and receiving two expirings definitely helps us do that). It's been my belief all along that Ainge wants two top six picks, and with the number of picks he has at hand, he'd be poised to do so. If our pick and LAL's pick falls outside of the top 6, Ainge could package it with other picks to land the 4th, 5th or 6th pick. It would require some luck, but Embiid and Exum could both be landed in this scenario.

Rough draft (2014-15):

Exum
??
??
Sully
Embiid

(2015-16):

Exum
??
Kawhi Leonard
Sully
Embiid

LAL: Rebuild primarily through free agency. They clear cap space for 2015, bring in a star to attract Melo and look to 2015. Not quite sure on this guy's claim that they'd then be able to sign Love (someone would have to take a pay cut, right?), but it gives them a better chance than ever at establishing the Big Three they've wanted.

Rough draft (2014-15):

Rondo
Kobe
Melo
??
??

(2015-16):

Rondo
Kobe (?)
Carmelo
Love
??

Suns: Compete now. They get Gasol, which is the ideal piece for their situation. He can still be a big time player but he also doesn't destroy their cap situation. They have to swallow something, and that'll be Green's contract, but overall it gives them a nice young core of Bledsoe, Green and Plumlee and they still have some picks to spare.

Rough draft (2013-14):

Dragic
G. Green
J. Green
Gasol
Plumlee

(2014-15):

Bledsoe
Dragic
Green
Markieff Morris
Plumlee

Who says no?