Rajon Rondo Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets Likely Landing Spot?
Now that LeBron has landed and Carmelo has stayed put, the biggest name on the NBA rumor mill not named Kevin Love is Rajon Rondo. But is Houston the next destination for the All-Star point guard, or will he stay put with the Boston Celtics?
According to ESPN.com reporter Marc Stein’s Twitter account, the Houston Rockets are interested in acquiring Rondo, who is in the last year of a five-year, $55 million-dollar contract.
So look for Rockets to re-enter trade game for longtime Houston target Rajon Rondo as well as try to work their way into mix for Kevin Love
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 14, 2014
However, the Boston Herald is reporting that those rumors simply aren’t true, mainly because the Rockets do not have the assets to pull off a deal with Celtic GM Danny Ainge:
“According to league sources, Danny Ainge has been pretty firm in the past on his need to get a major player in return for his All-Star point guard, and while the president of basketball operations has to realize Rondo’s impending 2015 free agency may change the game a bit, he is still under no time pressure to pull the trigger.”
Meanwhile, Rajon himself has made no mention of wanting to be traded. In fact, Rondo’s desire to return to Boston and see the Celtics improve close to their former glory, when he, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were either winning or in contention of winning championships every year was reinforced recently. Rajon answered fan questions via Good Morning America‘s Instagram account last month, and had this to say on the idea of reaching another NBA Finals with Boston:
“Hopefully this summer we’re going to make some big changes, get the ball rolling and get back to the Finals pretty soon. I know Danny Ainge is doing his job, and I’m going to go out every summer and do my job and get better.”
So where does that leave the Houston Rockets, then? Despite falling short in their quest to land big time free-agents Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, Houston is still an attractive destination for players like Rajon because of the talent they have on their roster. With Dwight Howard and James Harden locked in, Houston merely needs to add one more bona-fide superstar to become the odds on favorite to dethrone the Spurs.
Where do you think Rajon Rondo will end up? Will he stay in Boston, or are the trade rumors to the Houston Rockets accurate?
