What's in the future for Rajon Rondo?

With the NBA's Trade Deadline a day away, the rumor mill surely has started spinning, especially over Boston Celtic’s point guard Rajon Rondo. While recently coming back off of his torn ACL Rondo has averaged 9.8 points and 8.7 assists per game so its understandable why he’d be such a sought after acquisition to many teams rosters but the question still remains where could Rondo actually end up? There are a few teams that could definitely benefit from having Rondo but there are also teams that could benefit the Celtics rebuilding process as well.  One of which being their league long rivals; the Los Angeles Lakers.

Hear me out now, it's not as far fetched as it seems. Although Rondo has said multiple times that he would not play for the Lakers in his career the trade could benefit both sides positively. A trade of Rajon for Pau and two unprotected draft picks has been in the talks recently and it's honestly not a bad idea. Pau has an expiring $19+ million dollar contract coming up at the end of the year, as does current Celtics center Kris Humphries (although his contract is $12 million which still ties him as highest paid Celtic with Rajon Rondo). Collecting Pau’s contract along with Humphries' expiring would total almost 30 million dollars in free cap space onto the Celtics roster at the start of next season. That would put the Celtics at 3 first rounds and 2 deep draft picks, and $30 million dollars to use on free agency in the 2014 - 2015 season. That's nothing to turn your nose at, as sucky as it would be to see Rondo in the hated purple and gold.

Another team making a last ditch effort towards acquiring Rondo are the New York Knicks. The Celtics have already declined two previous offers for their point guard but that doesn’t mean the Knicks have quite given up hope yet.  Word from the Knicks camp is that the team's push for Rajon is coming straight from Carmelo Anthony himself. Unfortunately the players, and trade picks that the organization is willing to offer, just aren’t any good for the Celtics in the long run; so the odds of seeing a Rondo - Anthony link aren’t looking to good. Sorry Knicks fans.

And last but not least, The Detroit Pistons. Like the Knicks the Pistons have had a long time interest in Rondo, ever since acquiring Josh Smith to a big money deal in the off season. Its was only natural to assume that the Pistons would try to make a trade work for Rondo using their big man Greg Monroe.  Recently they have offered Greg Monroe, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a first round draft pick. Words from the Pistons camp is that the asking price for a fresh off injury Rajon Rondo is just to steep for them to even entertain, but you never know. when it comes to a ring, teams have been know to break the bank at an opportunity to see the NBA Finals.

All this talk just leads us to wonder where he will end up, and truth is up until Thursday no one will know until trades have gone through. As a Celtics fan the thought of parting ways with the last piece of the 2008 Championship Team is a sad one, but with eyes on the future; and a rebuilding process in sight that needs to make its way to the present, the right trade may just make it worth while. Currently (in my opinion) Rondo doesn’t seem very interested in who he plays for, as long as the money and the contract is right; which is hard to understand after seeing him under the wings of Celtics greats; Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. That leads myself and a majority of Celtics fans whom bleed green to have the mindset of let him go and bring in a player with pride to play for this city. Someone to take over the reign Paul Pierce left to be filled. Only time will tell, but until then we’re just left with different possibilities that could come to surface. Celtics coach Brad Stevens has said that he doesn’t see a team overhaul coming into play before the trade deadline, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.