Hawks down shorthanded Mavs 104-87

On the rear end of a back to back, the Dallas Mavericks were missing numerous key players. Guard Rajon Rondo sat due to suspension (conduct detrimental to the team), SF Chandler Parsons sat out yet again due to his ankle, Back up big man Amar'e Stoudemire had a scheduled rest day, and starting center Tyson Chandler sat due to a hip contusion. The depleted and worn out Mavericks, who have played five games in the last seven nights, started off stronger than most, even I, expected. Especially against the Eastern Conference leading Atlanta Hawks. Dallas took a 53-47 lead going into the half, but the Hawks had different plans in the second, and quickly created separation in the 4th quarter to take the win 104-87

Turnovers killed the Mavericks tonight yet again, and they were lucky the Toronto Raptors were just as careless Tuesday night, The Hawks would not make the same mistake and that ultimately did the Mavs in in the 3rd quarter.

Dirk Nowitzki had a game to forget in regards to scoring, only coming up with 4 points to go along with his 5 rebounds and 4 assists, Kyle Korver shot 50% from the field and tallied 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 block shots in the winning effort, Korver, Paul Milsap, and Dennis Schroder were the Mavericks kryptonite tonight, combing for 48 points.

Let's hope Rondo and Dick Carlisle can get along come Saturday. This team doesn't need any sort of distractions as it enters the final sprint to the playoffs in a Western Conference where you can drop from the 4th seed to the 7th seed just by losing a single game.

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Despite Rondo drama, Mavs outlast Raptors 99-92

Dallas Mavericks PG Rajon Rondo and head coach Rick Carlisle got into a heated exchange of words in the opening minutes of the 3rd quarter. No one knows what was said yet, but whatever it was, it caused Rondo to be benched for the remainder of the game.

That didn't stop the Mavericks from buckling down and taking control of this game and getting out of the first night of a back to back with a 99-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Some might argue that benching Rondo helped. The Raptors were shooting lights out in the first half, only for their field goal percentage to drop to a mediocre 45%. The Mavericks turned the ball over an uncharacteristic 20 times to the Raptors 19. It was a sloppy game in terms of ball control.

I salute Al-Farouq Aminu for his play Tuesday night. He nearly had his 3rd double-double of the season with 9 points and 12 rebounds.   He also had 2 blocked shots in the winning effort but what stood out the most was his hustle and energy displayed on the floor. He is flying to the ball and is always actively trying play a part in every play on the defensive

Whether the whole Rondo-Carlisle ordeal will be a future issue is yet to be seen. Could it have just been the typical coach-player dispute that happens in all sports on every level? Or is there a deeper meaning to it? Will it play a role in Rajon Rondo's future in Dallas? Since he left the game in the 3rd, the team proceeded to take over the game. Is Dallas better off without Rondo?

*stats/photo via NBA.com

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Depleted Mavs fall to Clippers 115-98

Right out of the gate, the Dallas Mavericks were dealt a bad hand.

If Mavs fans thought Rajon Rondo being injured was bad, having big man Tyson Chandler and shooting guard Monta Ellis sidelined is a nightmare. In Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, both Ellis and Chandler went down in the opening minutes of the first quarter. Ellis with an apparent hip injury, Chandler with an ankle injury.

DeAndre Jordan took full advantage of the lack of Tyson Chandler down low and grabbed 27 rebounds while adding 22 points in the win. Chris Paul also cooked against the already depleted point guard line up for the Mavs, adding 21 points and 13 assists.

A positive for the Mavericks is backup forward, Charlie Villanueva, who dropped a season high 26 points.

Trying to overcome having three starters out was deemed too tall of a task for the Mavericks, who still hung around at times and shooting 40% from the floor to the Clippers 44%

The All-Star break can not come soon enough for Dallas. They need to get healthy and regroup to get into gear to make a push down the stretch.  It's possible that the Mavs can add pieces to the bench like Jermaine O'Neal and Amar'e Stoudemire who can add much needed size down low to help out Chandler on the boards.

This loss drops the Mavs to 2-11 against Western Conference playoff teams. Funny thing is, when the Mavs went on that 2011 championship run, they were 2-15 after New Years day against Western Conference playoff teams. Does history repeat itself? Only time will tell.

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Kelly Olynyk achieves All-Rookie Honor

During last summer the 2013 rookie class took a survey of which one of them would have the best career amongst each other, Boston Celtics rookie forward Kelly Olynyk revived most of the votes with Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo. Olynyk could be on pace to live up to the expectations of his peers as the NBA recently announced who the coaches selected for the prestigious All-Rookie First and Second teams.  Olynyk was named to the team and was the first Celtics' player selected to the team since Rajon Rondo in 2007 and the first big-man since Al Jefferson in 2005 (now with Charlotte Hornets). Who would've thought that a 7-foot Canadian with hair that moves from the wind would be the only source of light in a dim season for a team use to winning.

Olynyk had decent season and could say, "I outplayed the No. 1 pick in my draft my rookie year." In 70 games played, Olynyk averaged 8.7 points (6th among rookies) and 5.2 rebounds (2nd among rookies) on 46.6% shooting from the field (4th among rookies) and 35.1% shooting from the 3-point line (6th among rookies), also unlike most big-men, he didn't shoot horrifically from the free-throw line as he shot 81.1% (5th among rookies) . The shooting ability of Olynyk was a key asset for his first year on the job as he is following a norm in the NBA as their is a bevy of big-men congregating to the 3-point line.    

This season, Olynyk didn't have box office numbers despite being compared to Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki but did put up respectable stats throughout the regular season. Olynyk had 22 games of 10+ but a dismal three double-doubles, then again he's more of a shooter/scorer than a prolific rebounder and could turnout to become a Point Forward further down in his career.

In recent years, young players who ended up in Boston didn't have the best career one would hope for playing for one of the original NBA teams but in a rebuilding year it's imperative that the Celtics are successful with their rookie and they've done that with Olynk as he has improved throughout the season.

"[Olynyk] is getting a better feel, Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "getting into a great rhythm and the game is slowing down for him in a lot of ways — especially on the defensive end. He’s reading situations better. He’s in the right position a lot of the time."  

Olynyk ended his rookie year on a high note as he averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in the month of April. He had a career-high 12 rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the ensuing game after, he had a career-high 28 points against the Washington Wizards. 

While Danny Ainge can pound his chest like Kevin Garnett for acquiring Olynyk on draft day from the Dallas Mavericks and making a smart decision with the way he has performed, in which he has recently had a ineptitude of mistakes trade wise, Olynyk is far from being infallible. Olynyk needs improve his defense as he was a liability on that end and needs to bulk up and go on the left or right block and get the Celtics more possessions in the post. 

Olynyk had a better rookie season than most of his peers drafted ahead of him in Anthony Bennett (No. 1), Otto Porter (No. 3), Cody Zeller (No. 4), Alex Len (No. 5), Ben McLemore (No. 7), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (No. 8) and C.J. McCollum (No. 10).

With the draft coming up, it'll be interesting to see if the Celtics stock up their frontcourt as they've been linked to Julius Randle (Kentucky) and Massachusetts native Noah Vonleh (Indiana). Another option is stay pat and go forward with Olynyk and Jared Sullinger.

Olynyk achieved the All-Rookie honors along with Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Gorgui Deing (Minnesota Timberwolves), Cody Zeller (Charlotte Bobcats) and Steven Adams (Oklahoma City Thunder) on the second team. For the first team, Michael Carter-Williams (Philadelphia 76ers), Victor Oladipo (Orlando Magic), Trey Burke (Utah Jazz), Mason Plumlee (Brooklyn Nets) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (New York Knicks) were selected as the top rookies of the 2013-2014 campaign on the first team.

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W2W4: Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets March 21st, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 21st, 2014

W2W4: Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Brooklyn Nets will be at home on Friday night hosting the Boston Celtics, as the Nets will be looking for their 11th straight win in the Barclays Center. The Nets are currently 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division with the Raptors hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Match-Up of the Game: Rajon Rondo vs. Deron Williams

On Friday night in the Barclays Center their will be a great match-up at the Point Guard position, as Rajon Rondo will be facing off against Deron Williams. Rondo is coming off a very good game against the Miami Heat, as the Celtics were able to pull off the upset at home against the defending champs. In Wednesday’s win, Rondo almost had a triple-double, with 15 assists, 10 rebounds, and nine points. In two games this season against the Nets, Rondo has played well averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 assists, and 7.5 rebounds per game. Rondo will however have his hands full, as Deron Williams has been on fire in his last two games combining for 53 points on 19 for 28 shooting against the Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Bobcats.

- Looking for Revenge

Earlier in the month the Nets were in Boston, which turned into a nightmare for the Nets, as they were held to just 84 points on March 7th. What killed the Nets earlier in March was the horrendous three-point shooting, as they went just four for 30 from deep. The backcourt of Williams and Joe Johnson played well, but there wasn’t much help from anyone else, as Paul Pierce has yet to play a good game this season against his former team.

news.sportslogos.net

- New Uniforms

Tonight will be the debut of the new Brooklyn blue jerseys, as the short-sleeved blue and grey jerseys look pretty sharp paying tribute to the old Brooklyn Dodgers. Many thought that Brooklyn would have these as the normal team colors, but they obviously decided to go with the black and white, but it is nice to see these as an alternative jersey.

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W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics; March 10th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 12^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks and Celtics will be facing off for the fourth and final time this season in Boston. The Knicks will look to even the season series up at two, as the Celtics won the first two meetings pretty handedly and the Knicks won in blowout fashion in the most recent meeting. This is an important game for the Knicks as they continue their playoff push, as they cannot afford to lose to teams below them in the standings to move up. The Knicks will look to continue their four game winning streak and here are some news and notes for them to do so.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks will be extremely short-handed in the front court tonight. Tyson Chandler will not be with the team for the second consecutive game as he deals with a personal problem. The Knicks will also be without his frontcourt mate in the starting lineup in Amar’e Stoudemire. Stoudemire will miss tonight’s game for precautionary reasons; he has played 56 minutes in his last two games after being on a strict minutes limit throughout the season.  One of Jeremy Tyler or Cole Aldrich will most likely find themselves in the starting lineup and both getting increased minutes tonight. Earl Clark will more likely find his way into the rotation tonight as the backup big man off the bench.

For the Celtics, Rajon Rondo will not be suiting up. Rondo played 41 minutes last night against the Indiana Pacers and will be held out. Rondo is still not playing back-to-backs for the Celtics, who have very little to play for so pushing Rondo makes little sense. The Knicks catch a break as the inexperienced Phil Pressey will take over the starting point guard duties.

-Match-Up of the Game: Carmelo Anthony vs. Jeff Green

NBA.Com

With Rondo out, Green is the best player the Celtics have and will be the vocal point of their offense. Green has had some success in guarding Anthony this season as well. Anthony struggled in the first two meetings, both Knicks losses and did well in the third meeting, a Knicks win. The Knicks fortunes tonight will hinge on the performance of Anthony and if he can take advantage of his match up with Green tonight. Anthony has struggled a little offensively recently dealing with an illness and will look to get back on track tonight.

-Who Steps Up Tonight?

With Stoudemire and Chandler out the Knicks are missing key pieces to their recent turnaround; an extremely efficient scorer who has been a presence rebounding, and the heart and soul to their defense. Who picks up the slack tonight for the Knicks will be the most intriguing thing to watch tonight. Tyler has played well in limited minutes, but is foul prone at times. Aldrich hasn’t been a constant contributor at any point in his career, but has shown the ability to rebound and play some solid defense when given a chance. Clark, who was cut from the Cavaliers, is probably the x-factor tonight in the front court. If he can give the Knicks anything tonight it will go a long way, but it is going to be a group effort to replace the production of Stoudemire and Chandler.

-No Let Down

The Celtics are coming off a hard-fought game against the Pacers last night in Indiana. The Knicks, on the other hand, are coming off a game that took them three quarters to get going, but ended up winning comfortably. Tonight they have to come out with the same intensity they did the fourth quarter Monday against the 76ers and take the Celtics out early. The Knicks have a tendency to let teams stick around far too long and it has hurt them throughout the season. Tonight, especially without 2/3 their starting front court, they need to come out early and take control. Expect a lot of Carmelo Anthony early and often as the Knicks will lean on their leading man with key pieces missing the game. If the Knicks can get on the Celtics early they can put this game away early as the Celtics will be a little fatigued and without their best player, even post ACL-injury, in Rondo. 

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Nets Shooting Woes Cost Them in Boston

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 7^th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 84 Celtics 91

The Brooklyn Nets were unable to stay above the .500 mark on Friday night, as they were defeated by the Boston Celtics. The loss moves the Nets to (30-30) on the season, and they now trail the Toronto Raptors by four games in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Shooting Guard Joe Johnson was questionable to play on Friday with an illness, but was able to play, and along with Deron Williams was good for Brooklyn. Johnson finished with a game-high 21 points on nine for 21 shooting. He also grabbed seven rebounds, which was a quarter of the Nets total rebounds as the Celtics dominated the glass, holding the Nets to just 28 as a team. It was the third straight good game from Johnson, which is important for the Nets heading into the stretch run.

Positives:

Deron Williams was good once again for Brooklyn, but with most of the team struggling it just wasn’t enough to get past a poor Celtics team. Williams finished with 20 points on seven for 15 shooting, but did have four turnovers with only four assists. Off the bench for Brooklyn the only positive was the play of Andray Blatche, who scored 11 points on three for seven shooting, and was one of the few Nets to have a positive +/-.

scores.go.espn.com

Negatives:

It was the second game back in Boston for Paul Pierce, but although he played better on Friday than he did on his first trip back to Boston, it was still a poor game from him. Pierce finished scoring just 11 points on four for 11 shooting with three rebounds and one assist. In three games now this season against the Celtics, Pierce is averaging just 6.7 points per game, while shooting a dreadful 25% from the field.

Shooting from three-point land was a complete nightmare for the Nets on Friday, which was a large part for their lack of scoring. In the first half the Nets went zero for 17 from deep and for the game they finished hitting just four on 30 attempts. Marcus Thornton had a rough night going zero for six from beyond the arc, and Pierce went zero for four. Even the good games from Williams and Johnson didn’t exclude them from the poor percentage from three-point range, as they combined to shoot three of 15.

Celtics Point Guard Rajon Rondo looked good once again, as he seems to be getting healthy from his knee injury. Rondo came close to a triple-double, as he scored 20 points on six for 14 shooting with nine assists, seven rebounds, and four steals. Rondo even went three for six from three-point range, which is a rare thing from generally a poor jump shooter. The only downside to Rondo's game on Friday was that for the second consecutive game he turned the ball over seven times.

Next up for the Nets will be an off day on Saturday before hosting the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

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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.

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The Future For Carmelo Anthony

Written by Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

ESPN.GO.COM

Carmelo Anthony has come out and said that he will not be traded at the NBA Trade Deadline next week and that he also wants to remain with the New York Knicks. He went as far as even saying that he will take a pay cut to stay with the Knicks if it meant getting some more talent around him. That is quite possibly the best thing that has happened for Knicks fans this season, as the Knicks already have more losses this season before the All-Star break than they had all of last season.

Even with what Anthony has said, the Knicks will be hard pressed to make changes to the roster. The Knicks are not holding a strong hand from the asset position, having no draft picks to trade until 2018 and not many players other teams want. For this season the Knicks will need a turnaround from the players they currently have to sneak into the post season.

The Knicks can shop Iman Shumpert around again, but his stock is at an all-time low currently; the Knicks have already had trades with the Denver Nuggets for Kenneth Faried and Timberwolves for Derrick Williams, who was traded to the Sacramento Kings, declined. At this point it may be best just to keep Shumpert and hope he can rekindle some of the magic he had during last season’s playoffs. There are no other players on the roster currently that would bring back much in the way of trades, as players like Beno Udrih and Metta World Peace would just bring back filler or maybe a second round draft pick.

Instead the Knicks should just hope their players can get it back on track this season. Injuries have decimated the Knicks throughout the first half so getting healthy through the All-Star break would be a big plus. The Knicks can then start shaping the roster to appease Anthony. The Knicks need to stop making short-sighted moves and hold onto the young assets they have like Tim Hardaway Jr.; trading him for a rental such as Kyle Lowry, a free agent after the season, would deplete the Knicks assets further and could dig into the cap space they are saving for 2015. The fact the Knicks could have had Lowry earlier in the season before he got on a roll and the Raptors started winning makes trading for him now that much worse of an idea; the Raptors are now dealing from a position of strength and will once again take advantage of the Knicks short-sighted decision making and quick trigger.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

This summer the Knicks can be big players in the trade market. They will be armed with massive expiring deals when Tyson Chandler, Andrea Bargnani and Amar’e Stoudemire all come off the books after the 2014-2015 season for a total of more than $48 million. Contracts of that size could be attractive for teams looking to get anything for players who may leave for free agency, such as Rajon Rondo or Kevin Love.

It would not be a problem and could even be the smartest move for the Knicks to just hold onto the players and let them expire off their salary cap. It would give the Knicks loads of cap space and the ability to hold onto players such as Hardaway Jr. and building around the players they have, instead of stripping down the roster again and taking on bad contracts. There have been too many examples of the Knicks giving away expiring contracts to bring back bad ones, a practice that has not worked well for them. Letting the contracts expire also gives the Knicks the best chance to put the kind of players around Anthony necessary to elevate the team to the next level.

Signing the younger players they have now to team-friendly contracts would be a smart idea as well. Jeremy Tyler looks like he can be a solid big man off the bench, providing energy, scoring and a presence in the rebounding department. He is only 22 years old, so locking him up as soon as possible would be smart before he out-performs what the Knicks’ budget is. Toure’ Murry is another player that would be worth a look as a third or fourth guard. He is still learning the point guard position but is already a strong defender with the capability of becoming lockdown once he gets more experience.

But what if Anthony ends up not staying? Nothing is official until he signs on the dotted line so there is still a chance that he leaves the Knicks and if he does it would be a big blow to the franchise.

Howard Simmons/New York Daily News

With how the New York Knicks have been playing this season it is fair to think that Carmelo Anthony will bolt from the Knicks. They have been underachieving all season and with each passing loss the possibility of missing the playoffs becomes more and more of a reality. Who could blame him for leaving the Knicks as a free agent this offseason when he opts-out of his contract? He has stated that the main goal for the remainder of his career is to win a championship (shouldn’t have been that from the very beginning?).

If Anthony would leave the Knicks this team would be on a fast track to the top of the lottery. They are losing with him having quite possibly the best season of his career, imagine the team without him? If he walked as a free agent it would be catastrophic for the Knicks. They would lose their best player with little to no chance of replacing him. Being cash strapped already above the salary cap and with no draft picks not much would be able to be done to replace Anthony leaving as a free agent. Depending on where he decided to sign the Knicks could attempt working out a sign-and-trade but there is no guarantee that would happen. Walking as a free agent would be the worst outcome for the Knicks because of how limited their resources would be to even make the feeblest attempt at filling his shoes.

The only way the Knicks would be able to field a competitive team for next season without Anthony would be trading him. They would be able to add some pieces to help kick-start the rebuild process, but who would be willing to trade major assets away for Anthony without the guarantee that he will stay with the team long term? The landing spots for Anthony are far and few between as teams with the combination of cap space to re-sign him and assets the Knicks would want are slim. Add in the fact that there seemingly so few places Anthony even wants to play makes it that much more difficult. It would not be easy trading Anthony, but if it is something the Knicks decide needs to happen they could pull it off. More than likely the Knicks will have to take back less than what Anthony is truly worth.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

One landing spot that has been mentioned that Anthony wants to play is the Los Angeles Clippers. Infamously at Anthony’s wedding it was proclaimed that Chris Paul would be joining him in New York with Amar’e Stoudemire to make their version of a ‘Big 3’. Because of decisions made by the Knicks that was never able to happen, so why not unite in Los Angeles together? The idea of a trade centered on Anthony and Blake Griffin sounds good but has little chance of happening. Griffin is 24 years old and coming into his own while Anthony is about to hit 30 and is pretty much set in his ways. The other landing spot that has been mentioned for Anthony is the Chicago Bulls. They have plenty of assets the Knicks would be glad to take back, such as up and coming wing Jimmy Butler and 2013 first round draft pick Tony Snell. The Knicks would have to be willing to take on a contract such as Carlos Boozer to make the money work, but that should not be a hindrance.

If the Knicks are in fact going to trade Anthony before next week’s trade deadline it would not be surprising to see them then unload virtually everyone on the roster. Next in line would most likely be Chandler, who off his reputation alone could fetch the Knicks a first round draft pick from a team looking to get over the hump as a contender; possibly the Oklahoma City Thunder or Portland Trail Blazers. It would be smart for the Knicks to also attempt including albatross contracts they no longer want, such as Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith in any moves they make.

If they do end up going down the path of trading Anthony, it would be a successful trade deadline if they can get back some picks to replenish the ones they have traded away and move the contracts of players that no longer would fit into the rebuilding process. This would be a forced rebuild for the Knicks, something they have avoided doing with quick patch work trades to take on veterans on bloated contracts and disregarding draft picks. It would also mean that Dolan admitted it was a mistake to move so many pieces for Anthony, so the chances of that happening are minuscule at best. With or without Anthony the 2015 offseason will be when the Knicks can truly start remaking this roster, hopefully into a title contender.

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What does the future hold for Rajon Rondo and the Celtics?

Over the last week there has been a lot of buzz surrounding Rajon Rondo and his role with the Boston Celtics.  News came that the Celtics President of Operations, Danny Ainge, offered him a contract extension with the team that was denied (as expected)

"In the collective bargaining agreement, there are limits on what can and can't be done," said Ainge.
"Really, it's not that Rondo doesn't want to accept an extension, as much as it's just not financially smart for him to accept it right now. We didn't think he would [sign], but we did try.”

Initially the news led some fans to question what Rondo’s long term intentions were with the team. Was he in this for the long haul as the newly named captain or was this a way for Ainge to say “we made him a deal, he denied it so now we must move forward” and go through with another multi-team trade later in the year? Thinking with Rondo’s interest in mind, it really wouldn’t be a smart move to sign with the team right now.

His best bet (and what the team expected) is to wait until summer and see what his options are. Boston currently has two potential extension options for Rondo. One of which is a three year, $44.8 million extension added to the end of his current contract, without a signing bonus. That would pay him right around $12.9 million in 2014-2015, $13.9 million in 2015 - 2016, $14.9 million for 2016 - 2017 and $16 million for 2017 - 2018 campaign. Boston can go another route by applying a signing bonus of $6.6 million, which then would cause his salaries to drop to $11.7 million, $12.5 million, and $13.4 million for the 3 additional seasons, respectively. Either option would be a good deal for Rondo. It would offer him team security, and a chance at another big contract at the end of this season, since he’d only be 32 years old when the contract expires. After this season he would also become eligible for a ‘no trade clause’, similar to what veteran Kevin Garnett had written into his contract. You probably find yourself questioning why in the world would Rondo take the second offer of a lower salary, well think about it; accepting less money gives Ainge the ability to build around Rondo with other top of the line players. After being off the court for nearly a year Rondo is back, and is an excellent value to the team. Which is proven by hearing his name consistently in the trade buzz, an extension this summer keeps him as a valuable asset.

Letting Rondo become an unrestricted free agent should be a scary thought for the franchise, as a Bird Rights free agent after this current season Rondo could demand a five year max contract that would put him in line for a $100 million, a price tag I’m pretty sure Boston wouldn’t want to see. Ainge admitted Thursday that he doesn’t think signing Rajon will come cheap since the competition for Rondo on a roster will be very high, but both sides have motivation to make a deal.

If this talk alone wasn’t enough to boost your belief that Rondo could see a long term career in green, Rondo acknowledged recent talks with the organization about his time left in Boston

 "I like to stick to the script, I don't like change much. I wouldn't mind staying here the rest of my career. Things don't always seem to go that way, but like I said before, it's just a business. I wouldn't mind extending another 10 years in Boston.”

When told that Ainge reported that Rajon could request “star money” to continue with the team, Rondo laughed and replied “I’m making star money now, really. Its a good living.” Even though word is out about current talks with Rondo, Both sides agree that the best bet for both parties is to wait until the end of the current season before escalating more conversation at an extension. Rondo admitted his agent will be handling all the money talk, so all us Celtic fans can do is cross our fingers and see what's in store for the future.

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