IF we trade Rondo, we would NOT be selling low...

[EDWARDO]

I haven't been a proponent of trading Rondo in the past. Not that I would have been wholly opposed to it, but it made sense to me that Rondo could well be one of the two best players on the Banner 18 Celtics team. He [dang] near was 13 months ago when we took Miami to 7 games. KG and PP are in decline, and were very very unlikely to be on the Banner 18 Celtics, so the logic of The Trade is sound. Trading Rondo though, would by no means follow directly from the same logic.

Keeping Rondo preserves a huge asset. A top 20-25 player capable of becoming a top 5-10 player when it matters most. He might drive us a bit batty at times, but in the playoff, the kid is awesome. You need AT LEAST two stars to win a title, and I'm pretty content thinking Rondo can be one of them.

However.... I have been thinking about how the next 8-10 months unfold, and then the next year after that. Assuming Rondo's recovery from the injury goes as planned, and there's really no reason to think it wouldn't, he will be back playing in the middle of next season and should be basically "good as new" at that point. He's not had injury issues in the past, so there should be a relatively clean bill of health for him. This seems like a pretty safe bet, though some could argue its not a sure thing.

Let's say that unfolds for sake of argument. Then what do we have? A top 5 PG under a great contract for another 1.5 years who is desperate to win, yet stuck on a 25-35 win team. A player doesn't need to be moody or a coach killer to start to get agitated in that situation. He will be 28 years old, in the prime of his career, and stuck for the foreseeable future on a bad/mediocre team. And guess what, when his contract is up the following year, he'll be a 29yr PG who will expect AND GET a max deal from someone. Would you want to be tied down to Rajon for 6yrs, $90mm at that point? I'm not totally opposed, but I'm also not so sure it would be the best thing ever. A smart GM, and Danny is smart, is thinking about this now and won't let it sneak up on him. Its not a lose-lose situation, he's just got to be aware of what's coming down the road at him here.

IF we aren't winning and he's NOT happy, we would also have to weigh the possibility of losing him in 18mths time, or at least losing the leverage to do a favorable sign-and-trade if he becomes deeply disenchanted in the meantime. In terms of our leverage, we'd perhaps be optimizing our potential trade value by trading him earlier rather than later.

In addition, the value of Rondo's very cheap contract are lost on us for now. For a true contender, having a great player under a less-than-market value contract is HUGELY valuable. It allows you to add the final pieces to a potential title team. For a 30 win team, sure its nice, but really, what would we do with an extra 3-5mm in cap space? Not really anything. Over the past few years that extra money was used to get guys like Bass, Lee, Jet et al - veteran players who could potentially play a role pushing a team over the top. For the 2013/14 Celtics, its not like we're itching to add Sammy Dalembert or some 6th/7th man to change the outlook for our team. We're going to be playing/developing the young guys.

The only way to trade Rondo, however, would be for a guy with a legit shot at being a best 1-2 guy on a championship team. If I see another Rondo for Shumpert/Felton idea, I think I'll puke. You don't trade a dollar for to 50c pieces in the NBA. NEVER. Let alone two  dimes like Shumpert/Felton.

Trading him becomes very very difficult in that case. I keep coming back to Detroit as the most likely place for him to land, but it would HAVE to be for Drummond. I just don't think Monroe is a strong enough asset (he seems like a good "3rd best guy on a title team" to me, not a "chips are down, we're going to war led by this guy" type). I do think that Drummond could develop into that kind of player. And as a legit back-to-the-basket bruiser center, he could be the kind of player that's worth taking a long term gamble on. He certainly seems to be developing in the right way. Zach Lowe and the SG were discussing this trade on the pod and both agreed that if the Celtics could get Drummond for Rondo, they should do it.

Again, I'm not saying they SHOULD trade him, and please don't try to ship him off without getting a potential #1/2 type back for him. I'm just saying things are still pretty fluid. If we get to January 15th and his attitude isn't exactly where it should be (but his body is), there would be good reasons to think we should be exploring the possibilities. 

[paidthecost2betheboss]

Again, I'm not saying they SHOULD trade him,

[clover]

Drummond is a monster, number-one championship team option (which Rondo isn't) on the cheap for years (and Rondo isn't)  and in line to dominate for more than a decade to come (and Rondo isn't) at the toughest position to fill (which Rondo isn't). 

Why would Dumars trade Drummond for Rondo?

[bfrombleacher]

Drummond is a monster, number-one championship team option (which Rondo isn't) on the cheap for years (and Rondo isn't)  and in line to dominate for more than a decade to come (and Rondo isn't) at the toughest position to fill (which Rondo isn't). 

Why would Dumars trade Drummond for Rondo?

To contend.

[TeamGreen.dm]

So were saying Drummond is a better option than Rondo? Where the hell am i? Twilight Zone

[twistedrico14]

I completely disagree with some of these observations of Rondo. He is a top 5 point guard with tremendous skills, a proven world champ point guard at that.  I would not trade him unless there was a very high draft pick and/or a young all-star coming back in return. Even then I am not sure if the value would be high enough.  With Rondo and Bradley, the C's have their backcourt of the future, they should build on that....

[BleedGreen1989]

So were saying Drummond is a better option than Rondo? Where the hell am i? Twilight Zone

Haha for real.

Drummond is the #1 option on a championship team? Umm, about that...

[TeamGreen.dm]

So were saying Drummond is a better option than Rondo? Where the hell am i? Twilight Zone

Haha for real.

Drummond is the #1 option on a championship team? Umm, about that...

Right!!! Blows my mind an unproven Center is all of a sudden a better option and a better piece on a championship team. Last i checked Rondo was a huge part of a championship team already and was already considered the best player on THAT team.

I'm glad too see I'm not the only one who feels this way though

[BballTim]

Drummond is a monster, number-one championship team option (which Rondo isn't) on the cheap for years (and Rondo isn't)  and in line to dominate for more than a decade to come (and Rondo isn't) at the toughest position to fill (which Rondo isn't). 

Why would Dumars trade Drummond for Rondo?

  Sometimes I think that people who pencil in players like Drummond or Cousins as "monster, number-one championship team option" aren't old enough to remember what Shaq looked like when he was a young player.

[TeamGreen.dm]

Drummond is a monster, number-one championship team option (which Rondo isn't) on the cheap for years (and Rondo isn't)  and in line to dominate for more than a decade to come (and Rondo isn't) at the toughest position to fill (which Rondo isn't). 

Why would Dumars trade Drummond for Rondo?

  Sometimes I think that people who pencil in players like Drummond or Cousins as "monster, number-one championship team option" aren't old enough to remember what Shaq looked like when he was a young player.

I literally was gonna say the same thing haha not that im particularly old enough too remember his college years or early Magic years BUT the way they talk about Drummond, Monroe, Cousins and hell even Asik in some threads you'd think the next great Center is hitting the hardwood. They're not even close to D12 as a player and Dwight isn't half the player Shaq was

[jambr380]

Drummond is a monster, number-one championship team option (which Rondo isn't) on the cheap for years (and Rondo isn't)  and in line to dominate for more than a decade to come (and Rondo isn't) at the toughest position to fill (which Rondo isn't). 

Why would Dumars trade Drummond for Rondo?

  Sometimes I think that people who pencil in players like Drummond or Cousins as "monster, number-one championship team option" aren't old enough to remember what Shaq looked like when he was a young player.

I literally was gonna say the same thing haha not that im particularly old enough too remember his college years or early Magic years BUT the way they talk about Drummond, Monroe, Cousins and hell even Asik in some threads you'd think the next great Center is hitting the hardwood. They're not even close to D12 as a player and Dwight isn't half the player Shaq was

Centers of the 90s were just ridiculous: Shaq, Zo, Hakeem, Robinson, Ewing, even Mutombo. I think if anybody was recommending trading Rondo for one of those guys (except maybe Dikembe), they would be laughed out of the room. However, I think people nowadays would be very happy with somebody who can grow into the production level of, say, Marc Gasol or Roy Hibbert - a defensive anchor who can be a prime option on offense.

But, yeah, if somebody wants to hand over the next Shaq, then by all means...btw, I am on the 'don't trade Rondo' side.

[hpantazo]

So were saying Drummond is a better option than Rondo? Where the hell am i? Twilight Zone

Haha for real.

Drummond is the #1 option on a championship team? Umm, about that...

Right!!! Blows my mind an unproven Center is all of a sudden a better option and a better piece on a championship team. Last i checked Rondo was a huge part of a championship team already and was already considered the best player on THAT team.

I'm glad too see I'm not the only one who feels this way though

which team was that? Because on the 2008 celtics, Rondo was not a huge part of their success. He was still developing and did about well enough to get by, and Perk sat during most of the crunch times minutes on that team too. That year Rondo averaged 10 points and 5 assists. People easily forget what Perk and Rondo actually were that year, young, average players. Pierce, KG, and Ray were closer to their primes then and really carried us, together with other veterans like Posey and House.

If Rondo wants to be considered a #1 option on a championship team, then he still has to prove it, because he has never been the leader of a championship team yet.

[TeamGreen.dm]

So were saying Drummond is a better option than Rondo? Where the hell am i? Twilight Zone

Haha for real.

Drummond is the #1 option on a championship team? Umm, about that...

Right!!! Blows my mind an unproven Center is all of a sudden a better option and a better piece on a championship team. Last i checked Rondo was a huge part of a championship team already and was already considered the best player on THAT team.

I'm glad too see I'm not the only one who feels this way though

which team was that? Because on the 2008 celtics, Rondo was not a huge part of their success. He was still developing and did about well enough to get by, and Perk sat during most of the crunch times minutes on that team too. That year Rondo averaged 10 points and 5 assists. People easily forget what Perk and Rondo actually were that year, young, average players. Pierce, KG, and Ray were closer to their primes then and really carried us, together with other veterans like Posey and House.

If Rondo wants to be considered a #1 option on a championship team, then he still has to prove it, because he has never been the leader of a championship team yet.

Your right. I'd still like too think of them as a championship team up until last year. Rondo was a huge part of that team staying competitive and playoff bound. If your saying Drummond has a better chance of leading and being the number 1 option on a championship team than Rondo. Well then we shall never agree on bball sir

[vinnie]

So were saying Drummond is a better option than Rondo? Where the hell am i? Twilight Zone

Haha for real.

Drummond is the #1 option on a championship team? Umm, about that...

Was just going to post the same thing. I must be living in another dimension if Drummond is the number 1 option on a championship team.

[BballTim]

So were saying Drummond is a better option than Rondo? Where the hell am i? Twilight Zone

Haha for real.

Drummond is the #1 option on a championship team? Umm, about that...

Right!!! Blows my mind an unproven Center is all of a sudden a better option and a better piece on a championship team. Last i checked Rondo was a huge part of a championship team already and was already considered the best player on THAT team.

I'm glad too see I'm not the only one who feels this way though

which team was that? Because on the 2008 celtics, Rondo was not a huge part of their success. He was still developing and did about well enough to get by, and Perk sat during most of the crunch times minutes on that team too. That year Rondo averaged 10 points and 5 assists. People easily forget what Perk and Rondo actually were that year, young, average players. Pierce, KG, and Ray were closer to their primes then and really carried us, together with other veterans like Posey and House.

  Rondo was pretty good in the finals, with games of 15/7/7, a 16 assist game and 21/7/8 and 6 steals in the final game. People who think that Posey and House (8 mpg and 5 DNPs) did more for that team than Rondo don't remember any more about that team than the people they're criticizing.

If Rondo wants to be considered a #1 option on a championship team, then he still has to prove it, because he has never been the leader of a championship team yet.

  No, he would have if he'd been a little healthier in the 2010 finals, so he'll have to settle for "leading a team to the finals" and not "leading a team to a title". Couple that with last year's ECF, though, and the number of players in the league that have led teams to that much success is pretty small.