Dont want to start another JG discussion and it is always a question of perspective BUT:
In year 1 after his heart sugery - JG did a hack of a job against LBJ, Carmelo, had his strides in the playoffs
In year 2 - he played in all 82 games, teams prepared for him, and he did a decent job for the player he is , donīt want to sound like the angry JG fanboy but there arenīt to many guys who can carry a team by themselves and they cost a lot of money. Would you be more angry if we had joe johnson? or dwill? Will you still be angry if chandler parsons, gordon haywood turn out to be who they are good but not great players? The NBA isnīt build around one player superstar teams, or two superteams, you can either go the spurs way, or the miami way - but that means three superstars, and a great supporting cast.
How would you rank success/trade value - championships? playoffs?
Im not saying JG is the man, but he is a decent player at a decent maybe little to high price tag BUT look at the market? it seems as if top SF are around 15 mill - and JG has way more defensive upside then Parsons and Haywood. You put him on a the cavs, houston, wizards or any roster and you get a quality piece. Now, if you theoretically add Kevin Love you would have to give up so much that you still wouldnīt be a contender straight away - you might be better, but you wont be great - even Love has Flaws - Defense , hasnīt played a meaningful playoff game. (Not comparing Kevin Love to JG but KLove is a max money player JG is not - talking value guys!)
So, before i stop, JG is not a superstar, but if he is your third best player at 9 mil, you doing alright.
The Cīs are in rebuild, as of now all top tear free agents choose to go somewhere else and thats allright. Besides LBJ there was and is now franchise altering player out there - not Haywood, not Gordon, not Stephenson...all those players KD, Anthony Davis, Derrick Rose, John Wall are locked up under contracts - contracts that they are worth it.
Same with Rondo, at the moment you wont get any better player for him - otherwise Aigne would have hit the button already. And thats the point, you want to get any worse then last year? For whom? Tanking wont work, as the past has shown.
Sorry for getting a little sidetracked but Aigne will not sell JG and Rondo under their value. Why should he do that? Have you seen A. Gordon, Exum, Payton, Wiggins in Summer League - they are raw talents but they need time. There is no indication that all of them have to be All Stars, they could. Is there any indication some of the will be as good as Rondo at some point? No