The Celtics were reportedly pretty pleased with what they ended up getting in return for Rajon Rondo, but when seeing just how heavily the first round draft pick was protected that they got in exchange for the All-Star point guard, that idea becomes less believable by the second.
Boston finally decided to pull the trigger on a deal for Rondo, who the team dangled in trade talks at various times over the past three seasons. But there’s no logical argument that could say the team got a decent return, even when considering that Rondo will require an expensive long-term deal when he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the current season.
The haul became even less appealing once the protection on the first round draft pick that the Celtics were to receive became public knowledge.
From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
The problem with getting future draft picks from perennially good teams like the Mavericks is that they’ll almost always be less relevant selections near the end of the first round.
The protections on this pick essentially guarantee that Boston won’t be able to use it until 2016, which will only further delay the team’s ability to get someone useful in exchange for Rondo that can become a productive member of the roster.
