The Legitimate Reason to Trade Rondo

[EJPLAYA]

There's a lot of opinion on here as to what we should do with Rajon. Give him a max contract, trade him, let him walk... There's a lot of good points supporting them. Here's why we should trade him and get the best we can:

We don't win any more games WITH him than we do when he's out. He is only a difference maker when he is surrounded with stars like the big three. Without them his win/loss difference for us isn't very big. You don't give a max contract to a player who doesn't win you a lot more games. You can't hope that his presence attracts tier one free agents when history has proven they won't come here. Trade the guy and let him have a shot at winning somewhere, and hope Danny drafts another Paul Pierce. It's or only shot at winning another championship.

[Jiri Welsch]

I don't entirely agree. There's no archetypal way to construct a championship team. You are also right, Rondo isn't set up to make a difference in the W/L column like we'd expect from a "Max player" (though considering DWill, JJ and Love are max players idk why that status is being revered so much), but you said it yourself: Rondo is built to put a team over the top who has some capable pieces on it.

You don't just dump Rondo because you want to save 5 mil a year at the PG spot and hope we hit a HR on draft night. You can feasibly hold on to him and hope to get a star in the draft. Unless we're blown away by an offer or completely crap the bed I expect us to take a run at Rondo in free agency and hold on to him through the deadline.

[EJPLAYA]

I don't entirely agree. There's no archetypal way to construct a championship team. You are also right, Rondo isn't set up to make a difference in the W/L column like we'd expect from a "Max player" (though considering DWill, JJ and Love are max players idk why that status is being revered so much), but you said it yourself: Rondo is built to put a team over the top who has some capable pieces on it.

You don't just dump Rondo because you want to save 5 mil a year at the PG spot and hope we hit a HR on draft night. You can feasibly hold on to him and hope to get a star in the draft. Unless we're blown away by an offer or completely crap the bed I expect us to take a run at Rondo in free agency and hold on to him through the deadline.

You're not just dumping Rondo if you are getting picks and/or wing players with upside. If your record is just as good without the guy, and you have young guys who can fill that role, then why hold on to him? You only give max money to a player who will make a big difference in your W/L record. Just because other teams are doing it doesn't mean that we should, and all it will do is handcuff us when it is time to pay a player who will actually result in us having a better record and be contenders. Our teams record with and without him shows that he doesn't. I'd rather have more ping pong balls towards the chance of a franchise changing player.

[BleedGreen1989]

The question for most level-headed fans is not if we should trade Rondo or not, but rather what we would be getting in return if we did and if that is worth more than attempting to attract another FA here to play with Rondo.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I like him because he knows how to play the right way, he is a star that gives our developing guys great looks which help their confidence and he is so dependent on talent around him that he won't get us into the playoffs.  Plus, if he walks we have massive amounts of cap space to throw around

[dwoumn]

I like him because he knows how to play the right way, he is a star that gives our developing guys great looks which help their confidence and he is so dependent on talent around him that he won't get us into the playoffs.  Plus, if he walks we have massive amounts of cap space to throw around

Agreed and in this rebuild mode the C's just don't have the right pieces surrounding Rondo. We as Celtics fans have been spoiled for the last 5 years to watch a very good team, where Rondo help make Pierce, KG, and Allen better players. Doesn't everyone expect Rondo do replace their productive by himself? Everyone talks about him not scoring but a) he's not a scoring PG, he is a true past 1st PG, and b) when he was putting up decent scoring numbers it was because the defense had to focus on Pierce, KG, and Allen. Rondo does have to be more aggressive when he's already penetrated and in the paint.

It was always crazy to hear analysts say that they didn't understand why defenders went under the P&R because Rondo would kill them with his vision and decision making. Now teams go under the screens and he doesn't have the same talent level around him.

Do I think Rondo is a max contract player? No, but he's [dang] near close to being one because their aren't many guys like Rondo left in the NBA.

[Mikedmx6]

In reality you kind of come of as hypocritical because you say get rid of him because he's only good when surrounded by players like pierce and kg, that's when he excels so why wouldn't you want ainge to build another big 3 type of team and keep rondo since that's where he excels. I'm extremely against trading rondo because I do think ainge clearly has the pieces to try and rebuild a new big 3. Rondo is a true point guard and you don't see that much in the nba anymore.

[Jeff]

New Orleans is only 11 - 12 with Anthony Davis - obviously the team isn't a contender with or without him, they should trade him

/end sarcasm

[D.o.s.]

The point is vapid, but the underlying premise is not. Rondo can be an above average starter on a championship team, but he doesn't seem to go very far when asked to be the best player on a bad team.

[wdleehi]

Only Lebron wins without players around him in the current NBA.  (well, when he was younger)




So if we move Rondo and somehow bring in another star, how long until the demands he gets shipped out because the Celtics are not winning?

[D.o.s.]

Only Lebron wins without players around him in the current NBA.  (well, when he was younger)




So if we move Rondo and somehow bring in another star, how long until the demands he gets shipped out because the Celtics are not winning?

This is where I find myself, too - -and, is actually the reason why I don't think it makes sense to trade Jeff Green or RR.

[Celtics4ever]

The million dollar question is will he stay?

He is a free agent draw to some degree.  You do not hear guys saying I want to play with Sully or KO or Green or even Bradley.

He is flawed.  He can't carry a team, can't shoot but rather is a force muliplier who does little things like board to win and makes others better around him.   A guy like that does best with two stud scorers.