Report: Knicks still want Rajon Rondo, Celtics uninterested, likely not dealing him before deadline


The NBA trade deadline is just three weeks away (Feb. 20th at 3 pm), and it's looking more and more as if Rajon Rondo won't be going anywhere.  From the folks at Basketball Insiders:

"A source with direct knowledge of the situation has informed Basketball Insiders that the Celtics have demonstrated little activity as it relates to potentially moving Rondo at the deadline. The team has stopped short of giving Rondo a no-trade guarantee, but has made it clear it would take a substantial offer for the team to deal away its floor general. 
According to the source, the New York Knicks have been the team with the strongest interest in potentially acquiring Rondo from the Celtics as the deadline nears. The Knicks’ interest should come as no surprise as the team has endured their own struggles at point guard with the trio of Raymond Felton, Beno Udrih and Pablo Prigioni underachieving. However, the Celtics have no interest in the Knicks’ current assets at the moment."

 A quick look at the Knicks roster and salaries shows why it's pretty obvious Boston isn't interested (unless they want to offer Carmelo Anthony for Rondo and somebody else -- which they don't), New York has next to nothing in the way of inexpensive young talent and expiring contracts.  The Knicks don't even have a first round draft pick this year (or in 2016), which they owe to Denver from the Carmelo trade.

I was able to come up with one deal the Celtics might consider, but I don't imagine it's what the Knicks have in mind.  Basically NY would give Boston all of their expiring contracts, what little promising talent they have (Tim Hardaway Jr. and Iman Shumpert, plus Raymond Felton to make the money work; and I'm borderline on whether Shumpert fits in the "promising talent" or "just to make the money work" category), and their next two available first round draft picks.  Good luck to that:




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