Celtics trade Rajon Rondo for Nerlens Noel and a 2014 1st Rnd Pick (Dario Saric)

[ssspence]

Much as I love Ainge, it still pains me that he allowed Sam Henkie to beat him to this deal with Holliday. It remains to be seen whether this will prove to be a better heist than the KG + PP to the Nets deal. But to think Ainge could have done both is pretty unbelievable.

Whoa -- what a future this team would have!

[TheTruthFot18]

Rondo was just a few months removed from an ACL injury. Why would NO do that trade? If anything it would include us sending a first.

[Ilikesports17]

Unfortunately we were not able to hide rondos injury history.

[mctyson]

Much as I love Ainge, it still pains me that he allowed Sam Henkie to beat him to this deal with Holliday. It remains to be seen whether this will prove to be a better heist than the KG + PP to the Nets deal. But to think Ainge could have done both is pretty unbelievable.

Whoa -- what a future this team would have!

This is the kind of post on Celticblog that makes me lose brain cells.

[ssspence]

Rondo was just a few months removed from an ACL injury. Why would NO do that trade? If anything it would include us sending a first.

6 months removed. Dallas just gave $70 mil to a guy with a torn Achilles.

Meanwhile, Holliday was broken, and they still took him. Why would they have done that deal in the first place? 2 lottery picks for Holliday? The answer: a weakness for immediate gratification.

[ssspence]

Much as I love Ainge, it still pains me that he allowed Sam Henkie to beat him to this deal with Holliday. It remains to be seen whether this will prove to be a better heist than the KG + PP to the Nets deal. But to think Ainge could have done both is pretty unbelievable.

Whoa -- what a future this team would have!

This is the kind of post on Celticblog that makes me lose brain cells.

So go read something else that you hope will help you gain a few.

[Sketch5]

Heres a thought, maybe DA didn't even get an offer.

If I remember this kinda came out of no wheres, and maybe NO was more interested in Holidays skill set than Rondo's and also Holiday is 4 years younger which when building a young up and coming team you don't trade a 6th pick for an older PG coming off a bad injury with a year left one his contract.

[KeepRondo]

Rondo was a top 10 player pre injury. Can't blame Ainge for trying to make things work first with Rajon.

[Denis998]

Rondo was just a few months removed from an ACL injury. Why would NO do that trade? If anything it would include us sending a first.

6 months removed. Dallas just gave $70 mil to a guy with a torn Achilles.

Meanwhile, Holliday was broken, and they still took him. Why would they have done that deal in the first place? 2 lottery picks for Holliday? The answer: a weakness for immediate gratification.

Well philly didn't tell NO about the injury. It's the reason NO had a hissy fit about it.

[ssspence]

Heres a thought, maybe DA didn't even get an offer.

If I remember this kinda came out of no wheres, and maybe NO was more interested in Holidays skill set than Rondo's and also Holiday is 4 years younger which when building a young up and coming team you don't trade a 6th pick for an older PG coming off a bad injury with a year left one his contract.

Could be -- particularly the portion about Holliday's age, and the fact that he can actually shoot.

As for the poster who called Rondo a Top 10 player, thanks for a good laugh.

[ssspence]

I do think it's now legitimate to question which group of assets you'd rather rebuild with: the Cs or the Sixers.

Existing players assets -- the Sixers have the pretty clear edge at this point, especially if Embiid ever recovers. There are a ton of picks yet to be used by both, so no predicting what happens there.

But Hinkie's work is finally looking very promising. And it's a reflection of different philosophies in the draft: Ainge looks for solid choices where he won't strike out, where Henkie seeks put long term investments that other GMs fear due to risk and lack of short term impact -- though in fairness, Ainge has almost always picked from a lower position. 

Regardless, the Noel deal was the kind of fearless opportunistic approach that I wish Ainge had taken with Rondo earlier, considerong how far his star fell fast, not to mention the fatal flaws in his game. You have to wonder whether he even discussed such an arrangement with the Pels.

Ainge certainly does deserve credit for righting that ship with the Nets deal, which I've long maintained on this board could go down as one of the greatest deals in NBA history.

[Vermont Green]

I am not suggesting that it does any good to dwell on the past but this was a heist by Philly, a franchise that isn't exactly known for savvy personnel moves.

Holiday did have a multiyear contract in place as compared to Rondo but I certainly think NO would have considered a similar trade for Rondo.  I don't mark down Danny for that though, at least not based on what I know.

Now if NO called and said hey we got this offer from Philly but we will give you the same deal if you give us Rondo...  That would be different but I doubt that is how it went down.

[Rhyso]

Could be -- particularly the portion about Holliday's age, and the fact that he can actually shoot.

As for the poster who called Rondo a Top 10 player, thanks for a good laugh.

FWIW, ESPN ranked Rondo the 12th best player in the league in 2012. Not a top 10 player though, unless we are talking playoffs 

[ssspence]

Could be -- particularly the portion about Holliday's age, and the fact that he can actually shoot.

As for the poster who called Rondo a Top 10 player, thanks for a good laugh.

FWIW, ESPN ranked Rondo the 12th best player in the league in 2012. Not a top 10 player though, unless we are talking playoffs 

That's great -- if you consider ESPN anything more than a clownshow. Anyway calling him a top 10 player only accentuates my point that Ainge may very well have been able to get that deal.

[Moranis]

We discussed the trade at the time and it was widely determined that the offer for Holiday was no available for Rondo.