I disagree with Stein. I don't want to see Rondo traded. I think he has done enough for the franchise to have earned the right to continue to prove himself on this team.
To be honest, trading Rondo as he is entering his prime would simply be too callous a move on Ainge's part. Keep Rondo and try to build the next contender around him. I think that Ainge is starting to gather the pieces to be able to at least put himself in a position to try to get that done.
Of course, there's risk involved in going that route, but there's risk involved in trading him away for young assets and picks, as well. From this fan's perspective, this is where showing a little loyalty and decency from this franchise is the right way to go.
The current climate of "expendability" of the professional athletes that we root for is starting to go too far, in my opinion.
When thinking about this, I keep returning to the Pierce situation prior to the forming of the "New Big Three." At the time, there was lots of rumbling that the team would be better off trading Pierce to rebuild. Many didn't consider him building block material. He was, at times, considered selfish and immature, not "the guy" to lead the Celtics into the future.
Pierce stayed, and in staying, he got the opportunity to cement his legacy as one of the all-time great Celtics. I am grateful that I got to see that happen.
I am hoping that I get to see that same opportunity given to Rajon Rondo.