Report: Rockets likely to attempt a trade for Rajon Rondo


As long as Rajon Rondo is in green and not under a new deal, the trade rumors will continue to pop up. Here's the latest one.



No. Don't see this one happening. Unless a third team is brought in to get a real piece, Houston has literally nothing to offer Boston for Rondo. All the pieces that might have been used for a Rondo deal are now gone. No more Omer Asik, no more Jeremy Lin, no more Chandler Parsons. A package built around Parsons, some of the Rockets younger players and picks could have made some sense, but again, Parsons is now in Dallas.

Does Houston really think a package built around Patrick Beverley, Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas, Clint Capela and late first-round picks is going to get it done? I'd take some of those guys for Keith Bogans' instantly waived contract, but not Rondo. I would hope that Daryl Morey is smarter than that. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the youth movement, but this is like giving up a dollar for 10 dimes.

So if a third team is needed, who are some potential players Boston could snag from other teams?

There's always Larry Sanders in Milwaukee. He fills a need at center and at 25 years old, he can still be a part of the youth movement. His four-year, $44 million extension just kicked in, however, so you'd be paying him good money on a team that will still need a couple years to come together. Also, injuries and knucklehead issues.

Danilo Gallinari is a possibility in Denver. He's quickly approaching his 26th birthday and missed all of last season with a left knee injury, but when healthy, he's a nice option at small forward. He averaged 16.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.5 apg and shot the three at 37.3 percent in 2012-13. Still, Boston is pretty much getting those numbers out of Jeff Green right now. Not enough for Rondo. Center JaVale McGee could be another target from the Nuggets. McGee has two years left on his contract at just over $23 million total. He's had plenty of injury issues and knucklehead issues like Sanders, but the difference is McGee's contract runs out just as this team should be hitting its stride. No thanks.

A sign-and-trade for Greg Monroe would be nice. There has been no chatter about Monroe this offseason and that means one of two things: everyone knows Detroit will match so they aren't going to make an offer or there are deals being discussed that haven't been brought to light yet. Odds are it's the former. But bringing in the Pistons to snag the 24-year-old big man wouldn't be the worst thing in a Rondo deal. Maybe send them Jeff Green so they can have proper spacing with Andre Drummond and Josh Smith.

Derrick Favors could be had in Utah, now that Gordon Hayward is making max money on a team that still needs a couple years before sniffing the playoffs. Favors is a nice player capable of being a double-double machine and can play some five with nice rim protection. But the centerpiece of a Rondo trade he is not.

Other than that, there aren't a ton of other options available. So in summation, not only does a Rondo-to-Houston deal not work as a two-team trade, even finding a third team to bring in for Boston isn't easy.

I'm sure the Rockets would love to get Rondo to team up with Dwight Howard and James Harden. Doesn't mean they are likely to do it.

Stats via Basketball-Reference.com

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