With a 36-year-old coach and two fewer Hall of Famers than they had at the start of the summer, the Celtics are in full-fledged rebuilding mode. It’s no secret that winning is not the main concern on Causeway Street, where Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is focused on stockpiling draft picks and expiring contracts to revamp the roster in the near future.
The quickest way to dump the unsavory contracts of guys like Gerald Wallace and Jeff Green would be to sweeten the offer with Rajon Rondo, a four-time All-Star on an affordable deal with two years remaining. Plenty of teams could be looking for an impact point guard now that Chris Paul is off the market, so Rondo might not be a terrible consolation prize.
Still, it will be tough for the Celtics to pull such a deal, NESN.com NBA editor Ben Watanabe told ESPN 680. For one thing, the idea that Rondo and coach Brad Stevens cannot coexist has yet to be proven. Ainge — not to mention Stevens — may want to see how it works out with the new coach and gauge Rondo’s health after knee surgery before selling him when his value is lowest.
Watanabe talked about Rondo’s fate, the tough job Stevens has in front of him and how the Celtics broke the shocking news of Stevens’ hiring with Drew Deener on The Deener Show.
Listen to the audio or go to ESPN Louisville’s podcenter page and click on The Deener Show Hour 3 from July 8, 2013.
