The Pistons made an upgrade at point guard this week, acquiring Brandon Jennings in a sign-and-trade from the Bucks, but they may still be interested in Rajon Rondo, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes amid his weekly league roundup. Washburn says that the Pistons might attempt to use Jennings as a trade chip in a deal for the Celtics point guard.
Washburn had one of multiple reports last month linking the Pistons to Rondo, writing then that Detroit's preferred offer of Brandon Knight and an expiring contract was unlikely to get Celtics GM Danny Ainge to budge on his insistence that he won't trade Rondo. Knight went to the Bucks in the Jennings deal, so perhaps Pistons president of basketball ops Joe Dumars will offer Jennings and an expiring contract to the C's instead, though that remains unclear.
Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, Jennings can't be traded until December 15th because he signed a new contract this summer, so the Pistons and Celtics would have to wait if they want to make him any part of a deal. Rondo suffered a torn ACL in January, and the extra time before Jennings is able to be traded could give the Pistons a better chance to assess Rondo's health. Washburn figures that there will be plenty of other suitors for Rondo, especially after he recovers from the injury, so the Pistons could face competition, forcing them to drive up their offer.
I love Jennings but rondo would be an upgrade and a great floor general to a team that needs a willing passer to our core of big men
Would still like Rondo any time. Like both Jennings and Rondo but Dumars knows what’s best for the team. All depends where we are at in the standings.