What do you prefer? Blow it up or Re-tool around Rondo?

[OmarSekou]

I want to keep everyone. In part out of loyalty and respect, in part because I like the guys we have, and in part because I think everyone can contribute. The last thing is that our team has great leadership. Throwing together a bunch of young guys and we'll likely end up like Washington. Try to build around one guy and we'll likely end up like Orlando.

So I think we should sit and wait. Give Ray and KG the option to resign for lower salaries. Let Paul play out his contract and do the same. While we do that, look for talented complementary players and guys who can take over starting roles.

We have two already in Pietrus and Bass. I like Bradley as an energy guy to fill out a roster. I'm not attached to anyone else. Maybe we can get lucky and get Howard, Gordon, McGee, or Lopez (even Robin would be a huge upgrade). I think we could gamble and get Andre Miller or Oden. I think Mayo would be a good fit for us on the court (he could backup Rondo, start in Ray's sport, and/or come in as the 6th man).

Between free agency and the draft, we'll have a lot of opportunities to build ourselves back into contention if we don't do anything drastic. If we make a trade now we aren't going to get the better value because we have no leverage.

[wiley]

Rondo's trade value is going to remain high and go up higher post big 3.

That's because his scoring will go up....I think he'll average 18 points
once he's not only the spark plug but also a bigger part of the engine..which just isn't
possible on our current halfcourt offense team of aged superstars.

So then, if it's not working out with him at the helm you can trade him when he's a clear cut all-star who's higher scoring average will put to rest any concerns teams have about his jumper.

But first try it out.  Give him Rudy Gay and Josh Smith or the like, but, much more important, get him a defensive beast at center who can run.  

[wiley]

I want to keep everyone. In part out of loyalty and respect, in part because I like the guys we have, and in part because I think everyone can contribute. The last thing is that our team has great leadership. Throwing together a bunch of young guys and we'll likely end up like Washington. Try to build around one guy and we'll likely end up like Orlando.

So I think we should sit and wait. Give Ray and KG the option to resign for lower salaries. Let Paul play out his contract and do the same. While we do that, look for talented complementary players and guys who can take over starting roles.

We have two already in Pietrus and Bass. I like Bradley as an energy guy to fill out a roster. I'm not attached to anyone else. Maybe we can get lucky and get Howard, Gordon, McGee, or Lopez (even Robin would be a huge upgrade). I think we could gamble and get Andre Miller or Oden. I think Mayo would be a good fit for us on the court (he could backup Rondo, start in Ray's sport, and/or come in as the 6th man).

Between free agency and the draft, we'll have a lot of opportunities to build ourselves back into contention if we don't do anything drastic. If we make a trade now we aren't going to get the better value because we have no leverage.

nice post.

[BballTim]

I think Rondo is very likely to stay unless someone offers a "superstar" or a top 5 draft pick for him. Very similar situation to the one Paul Pierce was in after Ainge demoed that ugly 02/03 team.  

Thankfully this time we don't have anything like Vin Baker's albatross contract to prolong the mediocrity.    

I think you're probably right.  I do wonder, as others have in this thread, though, if the relationship between Rondo and the team is such that it might be better for both parties to move on.

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that Rondo is a mercurial player whose play -- and the play of those around him -- can be affected by such off-court matters.

  I'm somehow reminded of all the proclamations that we needed to get rid of Rondo after the CP3 trade fell through because he was going to spend the season sulking.

[jwoods]

Just our of pure self interest but...

My dogs name is Rondo, nad i would really hate tho have to have him learn a new name after all this time. 

[PosImpos]

I think Rondo is very likely to stay unless someone offers a "superstar" or a top 5 draft pick for him. Very similar situation to the one Paul Pierce was in after Ainge demoed that ugly 02/03 team. 

Thankfully this time we don't have anything like Vin Baker's albatross contract to prolong the mediocrity.   

I think you're probably right.  I do wonder, as others have in this thread, though, if the relationship between Rondo and the team is such that it might be better for both parties to move on.

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that Rondo is a mercurial player whose play -- and the play of those around him -- can be affected by such off-court matters.

  I'm somehow reminded of all the proclamations that we needed to get rid of Rondo after the CP3 trade fell through because he was going to spend the season sulking.

Rondo hasn't exactly been the model of consistency or good attitude this season, though he has definitely played well overall.

I know you're of the opinion that his poor play in the second half of last season can be attributed almost entirely to plantar fascitis, but there's a widely held belief that the Perk trade really threw him off, badly, too.

[jasail]

Plan A: Trade anyone but Rondo for 2012/2013 cap space and 1st round draft picks this year or in the future.  Use cap space and first round picks to build a young and athletic team for Rondo to run and run with. This would likely result in the C's getting a lottery pick this year as well.

Plan B: Trade Rondo for expiring contracts a youngish big man or a scoring wing and be willing to throw in LAC's pick to get it done.  Try to lure both DWill and Dwight to Boston. 

Plan C: Keep Rondo and let contracts expire.  Rebuild around Rondo with fewer future draft picks and less cap space. 

[BballTim]

I think Rondo is very likely to stay unless someone offers a "superstar" or a top 5 draft pick for him. Very similar situation to the one Paul Pierce was in after Ainge demoed that ugly 02/03 team. 

Thankfully this time we don't have anything like Vin Baker's albatross contract to prolong the mediocrity.   

I think you're probably right.  I do wonder, as others have in this thread, though, if the relationship between Rondo and the team is such that it might be better for both parties to move on.

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that Rondo is a mercurial player whose play -- and the play of those around him -- can be affected by such off-court matters.

  I'm somehow reminded of all the proclamations that we needed to get rid of Rondo after the CP3 trade fell through because he was going to spend the season sulking.

Rondo hasn't exactly been the model of consistency or good attitude this season, though he has definitely played well overall.

I know you're of the opinion that his poor play in the second half of last season can be attributed almost entirely to plantar fascitis, but there's a widely held belief that the Perk trade really threw him off, badly, too.

  I'd say his hand injury affected his play as well. There are plenty of beliefs about Rondo that are widely held here that are pretty nonsensical. The fact that Rondo had a few good games (like 18/4/11 and 16/5/15) right *after* the Perk trade and then started to play poorly later on is obviously of no interest to Rondo's detractors.

[Kuberski33]

Unless Danny can upgrade the center position this season, blow it up.  There's no reason to keep Rondo here in a rebuilding situation.  But even with a center upgrade the C's have no shot vs Chicago or Miami, so I'm all for lighting the fuse....

[lightspeed5]

Unless Danny can upgrade the center position this season, blow it up.  There's no reason to keep Rondo here in a rebuilding situation.  But even with a center upgrade the C's have no shot vs Chicago or Miami, so I'm all for lighting the fuse....

no reason to keep rondo? you really dont have a brain do you

[snively]

I think Rondo is very likely to stay unless someone offers a "superstar" or a top 5 draft pick for him. Very similar situation to the one Paul Pierce was in after Ainge demoed that ugly 02/03 team. 

Thankfully this time we don't have anything like Vin Baker's albatross contract to prolong the mediocrity.   

I think you're probably right.  I do wonder, as others have in this thread, though, if the relationship between Rondo and the team is such that it might be better for both parties to move on.

I don't see any evidence of a relationship strain with anyone other than the refs.

[mustang]

Absolutely keep Rondo - his trade value would probably be stable for the next 12 months anyway for those with itchy trigger fingers, and we ought to at least see what life would be like with a team more suited to his strengths - think Rondo, Green, Johnson out on the break together in 2012-13, maybe the ageless Ray a few steps behind for the trailing 3.

[LooseCannon]

There's no reason to keep Rondo here in a rebuilding situation.

If you wanted to rebuild and you wanted to trade Rondo, I don't think that means you need to start the process by trading Rondo.  I can envision a scenario where Rondo stays through a multi-year rebuild and is traded towards the end for that final missing piece.

[byennie]

I'm pretty glad we held on to Paul Pierce the last time we were rebuilding...

You definitely don't dump your 26 year-old best player on a reasonable long term contract in order to rebuild. He's the foundation. Get rid of him, and you have one more piece to find.

[cman88]

I'm pretty glad we held on to Paul Pierce the last time we were rebuilding...

You definitely don't dump your 26 year-old best player on a reasonable long term contract in order to rebuild. He's the foundation. Get rid of him, and you have one more piece to find.

EXACTLY you could substitute Rondo with pierce and look at our last rebuild.  You need a foundation and what better than a 3 time allstar...I don't get this obsession with starting from scratch. A lot of teams would LOVE to have an allstar young pg as a starting point...its one less position to worry about...we can target wing players and bigs