Rondo's staying, but is anyone coming?
A number of Boston Celtics players will continue to be the subject of trade rumors up until the 3 p.m. deadline on Thurday.Yesterday morning another rumor surfaced that the Celtics had offered Rondo to the Lakers for Pau Gasol, but the Lakers turned it down. I'm starting to get the feeling that many of these rumors are being created by other teams to pump up their own players' trade values. For example, the Lakers are looking to move Gasol. They can tell the Rockets, "Hey we turned down Rondo for Pau. You're going to have to do better than just Kyle Lowry."
But there's one player that isn't going anywhere - Rajon Rondo.
"Rondo's not being traded," Danny Ainge, Boston's president of basketball operations, told CSNNE.com prior to the Celtics facing the Los Angeles Clippers. "I don't know how many times I have to say it. Rondo's not being traded."
No player in the NBA has been talked about more among potential trade rumors. The latest involved a deal that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Pau Gasol.
Ainge said that reported conversation, never happened.
It's looking more and more like the Big 4 will have one last run this season. The Celtics aren't getting quality offers for the vet 3 and with some big wins recently I don't see Ainge just trading them for the sake of trading them.
In terms of adding a player (most notably a center), don't expect anyone all that good, since it would require moving a first rounder and Ainge has said he won't sacrifice the future for this season. If he changes his mind, Chris Kaman could almost definitely be had for Jermaine O'Neal and a first rounder.
The other big man available is Boris Diaw, who also may get bought out if he lasts in Charlotte past the trade deadline. While not a center, he's played it before and he would give Doc a lot of flexibility with his lineups.
