Power ranking the 10 most likely landing spots for Rajon Rondo
In case you've been under a rock, last night Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports reported that the Boston Celtics are having serious discussions regarding trading Rajon Rondo. Therefor, I thought it might make sense to fire up the trade machine and take a quick look at the possible landing spots for Rondo. So for those of you who aren't taking in the final episode of 'Serial', from 10 to 1, here's who I think is most likely to land the services of Rajon Rondo in the event of a trade.
10. Denver Nuggets
Ty Lawson, Timofey Mozgov for Rajon Rondo, Brandon Bass
Why it could happen: Denver desperately needs some kind of a shake up
Why it probably won't: Not entirely sure either team really benefits here
9. Dallas Mavericks
Brandon Wright, Raymond Felton,2015 first round pick for Rajon Rondo
Why it could happen: ESPN is reporting theres been significant talks between the two. Rondo would be a perfect fit in Dallas.
Why it probably won't: I just can't get my head around why this would be of any interest to the Boston Celtics
8. Milwaukee Bucks
Larry Sanders, Brandon Knight for Rajon Rondo, 2015 Clippers 1st
Why it could happen: Brandon Knight's played well, but is coming towards the end of his contract and Milwaukee might not want to pay him. For Boston, still enough intrigue about Larry Sanders' potential
Why it probably won't: While the team overalls a nice fit for Rajon, I can't believe Milwaukee is overtly confident that they'd be able to retain Rondo past this year.
7. New Orleans Pelicans
Jrue Holiday, Austin Rivers, 2016 right to swap first round picks, 2017 first round pick for Rajon Rondo
Why it could happen: Anthony Davis could really, really benefit from a pass-first point guard with playoff experience, and it would be pretty awesome to see the two play together.
Why it probably won't: Considering that Jrue Holiday has two more years on his 11 million dollar contract, I'm not sure the Pelicans can offer enough
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
Kendrick Perkins, Reggie Jackson, 2015 first round pick for Rajon Rondo
Why it could happen: The Thunder might have a closing championship window, and an aggressive trade could give Kevin Durant a little more faith in their stingy front office
Whit it probably won't: Reggie Jackson is a free agent this off-season, and I don't think he's worth the money he's likely to be able to get
5. New York Knicks
Tim Hardaway Jr., Amare Stoudemire, Right to swap 2017 first round picks, 2018 first round pick for Rajon Rondo
Why it could happen: Knicks fans could use just about anything to get more excited, and the Celtics could get out of Gerald Wallace's contract
Why it probably won't happen: What's getting out of Gerald Wallace's contract really get the Celtics? They probably don't have any realistic chance to lure a free agent to Boston this offseason without Rondo. So, is the cap space that valuable?
4. Detroit Pistons
Greg Monroe, Jonas Jerebko for Rajon Rondo
Why it could happen: Greg Monroe is a very enticing young big who really wants to get out Detroit
Why it might not: Greg Mornoe desperately wants out of Detroit, and therefor the Pistons probably don't have this kind of leverage
3. Houston Rockets
Terrence Jones, Jason Terry, and Kostas Papanikolaou for Rajon Rondo
Why it could happen: This is Houston's chance of locking up a third star, and Terrence Jones is a promising prospect on a nice contract for the Celtics
Why it probably won't: To me, I'm just not sold enough on Terrence Jones where this is the trade I make
2. Los Angeles Lakers
Julius Randle and Steve Nash for Rajon Rondo
Why it could happen: The Laker organization and fan base hate the idea of being second class citizens, are delusional, and think that Rajon Rondo could honestly elevate them to another level
Why it might not: The Lakers come to their senses, and realize that they don't have as much to gain as they have to lose.
1. Sacramento Kings
Ben McLemore, Darren Collison, and Derrick Williams for Rajon Rondo
Why it could happen The Kings organization, for whatever reason, seems convinced that they're a team that's ready to 'win now', and Rajon Rondo could benefit them. Also, after firing Mike Malone, might be a little concerned about Boogie Cousins' mindset, and adding the best point guard in the league (according to Cousins) might be a good way to deflect his frustrations.
Why it might not: It really comes down to how highly Danny thinks of Ben McLemore. After being highly touted in Kansas, McLemore struggled for the majority of his rookie campaign. This season he's played pretty well, but it's a pretty small sample size. Is that enough to trade a 28 year old All-Star point guard whose shown the ability to take over a playoff series for?
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