Report: If the Celtics do not get Kevin Love, they will likely trade Rondo, Green

Steve Bulpett is on his game. Guy has more Celtics insight than anyone else, and his latest article has several bombshells.

First: Bulpett says the Celtics current offer for Kevin Love consists of Kelly Olynyk, the 6th and 17th picks in this year's draft, and a future first rounder of their own (not a Brooklyn pick).

So far, according to a source, they have offered the Nos. 6 and 17 picks in this year’s draft, Kelly Olynyk and one of their own future No. 1 picks. They also own two more first-rounders from the Nets and one from the Clippers after this season, and the Celts are said to be certainly willing to discuss different combinations of their assets.

Second: Love wants to be moved by the draft, or else he will simply play this season out and become an unrestricted free agent after this year. Shockingly Flip Saunders hiring himself as head coach is not changing his mind.

What has become more clear over the past couple of days is that, despite talk that it might hold on to Love and take its chances that he’ll decide to stay, Minnesota almost certainly will have to deal him in the next week. One source told the Herald that Love and his agent, Jeff Schwartz, told the Timberwolves flatly that, if he is not traded sooner, he will opt out of his contract after the coming season and leave as an unrestricted free agent. It didn’t matter that Saunders was taking over the coaching reins; Love is leaving.

And finally: if the Celtics do not find Love this summer, they will be going in the complete opposite direction, aka blowing it the hell up and dealing Rajon Rondo, and Jeff Green (who Bulpett says they have a suitor for).

If the Celtics cannot get Love, they are planning to continue with the longer and more methodical rebuilding process, a process that would likely see Rajon Rondo traded. (An NBA source said they would also have a taker for Jeff Green if they chose to move him.)

Personally, this is exactly what I have been pushing for for exactly a year. Either go all-in on the Rondo era, or start from scratch with a whole bunch of young guys. The expiration date on the one foot in, one foot out rebuild is this summer, and Ainge knows that, which I love. A 28 (29 next season) year old Rondo does not make any sense on a team just beginning it's rebuild, and it certainly doesn't make sense to give Rondo max money to stick around if that's the direction we're headed.

And obviously all this goes for Green too. Green will be 28 next season and is clearly not a guy you keep around for $9 million per season if you're rebuilding. I'm actually really interested in seeing who the suitor is for Green to be honest.

If the Celtics do deal Rondo, Sacramento has long been the team I have thought is most likely. They own the 8th pick, Ben McLemore and the rights to restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas. That would work financially, and the Celtics would then own the 6th, 8th, and 17th picks this year, Thomas, McLemore, Olynyk and Sullinger, plus two more firsts in 2015, 2016 and 2018. No, they would not have a star, but they would be in really good shape in terms of a youth movement.

Other possibilities: LA (for the 7th pick and Steve Nash's expiring deal -- personally don't see this happening), Charlotte (9th pick, young players), Houston (Omer Asik, several firsts) and Detroit (Greg Monroe and a future first).

But breaking down those possibilities is for another time. For now we wait some more. But the Celtics ship, which has been slowly turning around in the sea of NBA rebuild (a necessity in the short term) is about to pick a direction. And it's happening very soon.


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