The Thunder would not do that deal in a million years. The Celtics would do it in a heartbeat. Let's face it, Russell Westbrook is a way better player than Rondo
Pretty much this. The criticism of Westbrook comes down to "I don't think he plays the way I think a point guard aught to."
Which is a fine position to hold, but it's about as relevant to a basketball discussion as "kelly olynyk needs to get a haircut."
I don't accept the statement that "Russell Westbrook is a way better player than Rondo." Clearly, Rondo struggled this year. I think it's fair to assume that his recovery from major knee surgery was a major factor in those struggles. It seems reasonable to project that Rondo could look much more like pre-injury Rondo coming into next season, more than a year and a half removed from his surgery.
I'm not criticizing Westbrook. He's a great player, but like most NBA players not named James or Durant, he's got some flaws.
I'll take Rondo based on the assumption that he will come into next season with a fully recovered knee. There seems to be a significant school of thought on Rondo that says his best years are behind him. At the age of 28, I doubt that's the case. I think a lot of folks are going to be surprised by his level of play (in a good way) coming into next season.