Rajon Rondo is going nowhere and everywhere all at once. Ah, trade deadline week.
The Boston Celtics have reportedly placed the price tag for their All-Star point guard absurdly high, requesting two unprotected first-round draft picks as a condition for even opening trade talks. Yet teams haven’t given up hope of prying away Rondo.
The New York Knicks are in hot pursuit, and the Sacramento Kings apparently discussed a deal that honestly doesn’t sound half bad from the Celtics’ perspective.
The Celtics and Kings discussed the framework of a trade that would have sent Rondo to Sacramento for Isaiah Thomas, Ben McLemore and a draft pick, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. In effect, Rondo vetoed the deal by saying he wasn’t interested in signing with the Kings after his contract expires at the end of the 2014-15 season.
Of all the rumors involving Rondo, this package would have been one of the least horrible, depending on the value of the draft pick. Thomas is a 5-foot-9 fireball who averages more than 20 points per game, while McLemore is the rare rookie with both insane athleticism and a promising shooting stroke. Such a deal would unite Rondo with center DeMarcus Cousins, a fellow Kentucky product.
