Kevin Love was traded to the Cavaliers this summer not because the Timberwolves were particularly interested in dealing their best player, but because they didn’t have much of a choice.
Now, it appears as though Rajon Rondo will be putting the Celtics in a similar situation.
Love informed Minnesota that he would not re-sign there at the conclusion of the upcoming season, and would be leaving once he became an unrestricted free agent next summer. That piece of information allowed the Timberwolves to work on getting something in return for Love, and when all was said and done, they got a pretty amazing haul for him under the circumstances.
Rondo, reportedly, has told the same thing to the Celtics.
Jackie MacMullan of ESPN said Rondo “has told them he wants out,” appearing on an Around the Horn behind the scenes video that was posted earlier this week. MacMullan also said that Rondo has told the Kings he wouldn’t re-sign there, either, with Sacramento having registered previous interest in acquiring Rondo in trade.
This shouldn’t come as any surprise. The Celtics are rebuilding, and Rondo has been to the top of the mountain, winning a championship in Boston in 2008. He hasn’t been healthy the past two seasons, but is a four-time All-Star and has proven to be one of the game’s elite point guards during his injury-free years.
There’s no hurry for Boston to get a deal done, and the team won’t be in any rush. The Celtics want assets in return for Rondo, and his performance in the early months of the season leading up to February’s trade deadline will help dictate what they might be able to get in return.
But he’s put them on notice, now, so expect plenty of rumors to swirl around Rondo until a deal is done -- or, at the very least, until the trade deadline passes.
[via SB Nation and MassLive.com]
