Rajon Rondo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Teletovic, Holiday, Rondo

September 4th, 2012 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets will be playing their home games at the Barclays Center for the first time this season, but it doesn't seem as if many Nets will be sticking around Brooklyn for too long after the buzzer sounds. Howard Beck of the New York Times writes that the team will continue to practice in New Jersey and will live outside of Brooklyn for the coming season. Due to the location of the team's practice facility, a handful of players will live in New Jersey, while a few more, including Deron Williams, will live in Manhattan. Here are the rest of the Tuesday morning items out of the Atlantic Division:

Nets offseason signee Mirza Teletovic has yet to find a new home stateside, but he's been turning heads at the 2013 EuroBasket Qualifier, as Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside notes. In six games for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Teletovic has averaged more than 25 PPG.
Max Rappaport of Sixers.com passes along a TrueHoop piece by Beckley Mason and Tom Haberstroh, which theorizes that Jrue Holiday could be a major beneficiary of Andrew Bynum's arrival in Philadelphia. Holiday is eligible for an extension this offseason, and when I looked at his case, I argued that it would probably take a breakout year in 2012/13 to earn him the maximum salary he's reportedly seeking.
Chris Forsberg and Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com preview Rajon Rondo's season by predicting whether the Celtics point guard will go over or under certain statistical benchmarks.

Rivers Takes Blame For Allen Leaving Celtics

August 1st, 2012 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Although much has been made of Ray Allen's reportedly frosty relationship with Rajon Rondo, coach Doc Rivers tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that Rivers, rather than Rondo, should be blamed for Allen's departure from Boston. According to Rivers, Allen wasn't pleased with a reduced role in the Celtics' offense and rotation, a decision made by the coach.

"I'm the guy who gave Rondo the ball," Rivers said. "I'm the guy who decided that Rondo needed to be more of the leader of the team. That doesn't mean guys liked that – and Ray did not love that – because Rondo now had the ball all the time…. And that bothered Ray.

"And not starting [games] bothered Ray," Rivers continued. "I did examine it, and the conclusion I came back to was this: By doing the right things, we may have lost Ray. If I hadn't done that, I would've been a hypocrite. In the opening speech I make every year, I tell the team: 'Every decision I make is going to be what's good for the team, and it may not be what's good for the individual.'"

According to Rivers, he mediated issues between Rondo and Allen for most of the five years that both players were in Boston together, with the relationship between the backcourt mates worsening in 2010/11. Wojnarowski reports that Allen also took issue with how he was compensated, his reduced role, and the fact that his name was constantly included in trade talks.

Rivers doesn't believe Allen's role will be any greater in Miami than it would have been in Boston. However, the C's coach points out that it may be easier for a veteran player to accept a lesser role when he's getting a fresh start, rather than being gradually shifted into that role by a team that used to feature him more. Rivers also holds no ill will toward the veteran sharpshooter for his decision to sign with the Heat.

"For a week or two, I was really disappointed, pissed, because I thought it was for all the wrong reasons," Rivers said. "It was more about himself, his team. And then, I realized: Well, it should be about himself. It was free agency. I wasn't thinking right."

Celtics Rumors: Bass, Garnett, Allen, Pietrus

June 11th, 2012 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

While a weekend report suggested that Brandon Bass was likely to exercise his player option, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com says that's not necessarily the case. Multiple sources told Blakely that Bass is a good bet to opt out of his contract, though the forward would like to remain in Boston. Presumably, Bass' top choice would be to renegotiate a multiyear deal with the Celtics.

Here are a few more Monday morning updates on the C's from Blakely and a handful of other Boston scribes….

Celtics Notes: Ray Allen, Big 3’s Future, Roster

June 10th, 2012 at 12:19pm CST by Daniel Seco

Saturday night in Miami may have marked the end of an era as the Celtics' season came to a close after the Heat took Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals. While Rajon Rondo and the youth of Avery Bradley and Greg Stiemsma give the Celtics building blocks heading forward, the team must decide how to address Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen's status as they become free agents this summer. Let's check in on the latest news and headlines out of Boston as we anxiously await the fate of the Big 3…

Celtics Notes: Allen, Rondo, Garnett

May 13th, 2012 at 1:12pm CST by Daniel Seco

With first round playoff action still underway, the Celtics kicked off the second round of the playoffs with a 92-91 victory over the Sixers at home on Saturday. Thanks to 29 points from Kevin Garnett, the Celtics were able to overcome a poor shooting performance from Paul Pierce to secure the win. Let's head up to Boston and catch up on the latest news and happenings at the Garden.

Celtics swingman Mickael Pietrus has been dealt a cold hand in recent weeks, but according to CSNNE.com's A. Sherod Blakely, Pietrus isn't the least bit worried about it.
While injuries have impacted the second half of Ray Allen's 16th season in the league, the former UConn star is thankful to still be in the league after so many years, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Allen, 37 later this summer, is one of the few players from the 1996 NBA draft that is still making a contribution to a team. “Sometimes with the other guys, they played two years, they played five years, they played nine years,’’ Allen said. “And they don’t seem like they lasted as long as they should, but some guys get to professional basketball and they just get burned out.
Barbara Matson of The Boston Globe says Rajon Rondo didn't know what to expect out of himself after failing to take a nap prior to Saturday's game against the Sixers. The result? The former Kentucky star had the eighth triple-double of his playoff career after getting off to a slow start and not finding his stride until the fourth quarter.
Garnett says he has no life beyond dedicating himself to basketball and it's paying huge dividends for the Celtics, reports ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg. “I have no life at this point," said Garnett. "I go home, get treatment, come back in here, study tape, film — no life at all. This is what it is.” With no distractions whatsoever, Garnett has been dominant on the court with 28 points and 14 rebounds in the series-clinching victory over the Hawks and similarly strong numbers Saturday night against the Sixers.

Atlantic Notes: Prokhorov, Nets, Celtics, Raptors

April 11th, 2012 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

Nets majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov is in America this week and spoke to reporters yesterday about meeting with Deron Williams and his desire to turn the team into a championship contender. If you're looking for something substantial though, look elsewhere, says Dave D'Alessandro of the Star-Ledger. D'Alessandro calls Prokhorov an absentee owner who doesn't really follow the team closely, and wonders how that will affect players deciding whether or not to sign with the Nets.

Here are a few morning Wednesday morning links out of the Atlantic Division:

Trail Blazers fans are hoping the Nets' first-round pick Portland holds turns into perhaps a fourth- or fifth-overall selection, but as a NetsDaily piece points out, that's not possible based on the current standings. The best the Blazers' could do with New Jersey's pick right now is seventh overall. I updated the status of this pick and other protected first-rounders yesterday.
With the 2012 London Olympics approaching, a pair of Celtics teammates expressed a lack of interest in playing for Team USA, as Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida writes. Rajon Rondo said he loves his summers too much to consider playing in the Olympics, while Ray Allen said he believes players should be paid to participate, given the profit made off Team USA jersey sales.
Unlike Toronto's NHL team, the Raptors shouldn't be sorry for the team's performance this season, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. While Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke took out an ad in the Star to apologize for his team's disappointing record, Bryan Colangelo and the Raptors have done exactly what they intended this season — develop young players, maintain cap flexibility, and incorporate the philosphies of new coach Dwane Casey.

Celtics Rumors: Allen, Garnett, Pierce, Rondo

March 22nd, 2012 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

With the Celtics' Big Three of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett potentially playing their last season together in Boston, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports talked to the Celtics stars about the trade deadline, the offseason, and their history. Spears also shares a few interesting trade and free agent tidbits along the way. Here are the highlights:

The Heat are expected to make a strong push to sign Allen this summer, a source tells Spears. Miami will almost certainly be a taxpaying team next season, so the club would only have a mini mid level exception to offer the sharpshooter.
Allen on the possibility of returning to the Celtics in free agency: "First of all, the team has to be willing to have me back. Then you have to look around to see what’s acceptable and who is capable of having me on the team and then you go from there. It’s hard to really say."
Coach Doc Rivers wouldn't be surprised to see Allen or Garnett, who are on expiring contracts, back in Boston next year: "I think people assume they won’t be back next year. I don’t know why there is that assumption. [Garnett and Allen] are free agents, but you can sign your own free agents last time I checked…. I don’t know if we will sign them both. We may sign one. But they’ve been great for us. Our [free agents] are probably the best ones and we will have the most money."
Rivers added that he thinks Garnett's first choice would be to return to Boston.
According to Spears, the Celtics were seeking first-round picks in exchange for Allen or Garnett at the trade deadline. Their asking price for Pierce was "a young star," and they were also only willing to move Rajon Rondo for an elite player.

Celtics Rumors: Allen, Bradley, Rondo, Pierce

March 14th, 2012 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

Following a blockbuster deal by the Eastern Conference's current eighth seed, is it the seventh seed's turn to strike? The Celtics have been at the center of countless trade rumors over the last few weeks, but according to GM Danny Ainge, no moves are imminent for Boston.

"It's not because of a lack of trying or having conversations with other teams," Ainge told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. "We just haven't come across a deal that we feel good about, that will make us a better team."

The Celtics have less than 30 hours to find that deal. While we wait to see if Ainge pulls anything off, here are the latest links out of Boston:

According to Blakely, Ray Allen is the Celtic most likely to be moved.
Avery Bradley is drawing "significant" interest as well, but an official from a rival team doesn't expect a trade: "Danny loves that kid, and now that he's playing and playing well… he's worth more to them to keep than to flip."
The only way the Celtics could change their stance on not trading Rajon Rondo is if a player like Deron Williams becomes available, but a Nets source assures Blakely that's not happening.
Ainge is reluctant to give up 2012 draft picks in any deal, telling Blakely that, while a short-term improvement would be nice, the team doesn't want to compromise its long-term goals.
Asked about the possibility of a trade, Paul Pierce indicated to J.A. Adande of ESPN.com that the decision will likely be out of his hands: "There's only so much I can control…. I've heard it put out there that if Danny Ainge gets the opportunity, [a trade] can happen. So I'm not in a situation like Steve Nash where it's only if he requests it. That wasn't said to me. That's what it is."

Ainge: Rondo’s Not Being Traded

March 12th, 2012 at 10:23pm CST by Michael Pina

Rajon Rondo has been a constant subject of constant trade rumors this season. His chilly attitude and enigmatic play have reportedly been the reason Boston has entertained offers, but every player has strengths and weaknesses, and Rondo's court vision, hyperactivity, and contract are all positives that outweigh the negatives.

The rumors are surprising because having a young All-Star, All-Defensive team point guard under contract is one of the most valued commodities in the NBA today, and moving him to rebuild around other pieces seems like it'd just delay the renovation.

Before tonight's game against the Clippers, Boston general manager Danny Ainge placed a cork in the faucet currently spewing trade rumors about his team's best player, telling CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely that the star point guard will stay put. "I don't know how many times I have to say it. Rondo's not being traded," he said.

Unless blown away by a deal that brings back immediate, young talent and draft pick(s), it looks like Boston will make a run with what they have without moving any of their core pieces before the trade deadline.

Lakers, Celtics Talked Rajon Rondo

March 12th, 2012 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

Rajon Rondo's 24-point, 10-assist performance wasn't quite enough to beat the Lakers yesterday, but only a few days earlier, the Celtics' rivals had been talking about acquiring the point guard. According to Mike Breshanan of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers and Celtics discussed a potential Rondo trade last week, though talks didn't go far.

"Unless [the Lakers] give up [Pau] Gasol, they're not going to get a top-level point guard," a person familiar with the situation told Breshanan. Assuming Los Angeles is unwilling to move Andrew Bynum, I'd think this goes without saying. A package of Steve Blake and Metta World Peace isn't about to solve the team's point guard issues.

While a blockbuster deal is still possible, it doesn't appear likely at this point. Breshanan says a trade for the Timberwolves' Michael Beasley is more probable than any major move involving Gasol or a top point guard. With three days left until the deadline, Kobe Bryant and his Lakers teammates are looking forward to regaining some sense of certainty for the rest of the season.

"I think it will have a great effect," Bryant said. "Guys can just go out and play instead of waking up and checking their phones all the time to make sure they didn't miss a call from their agent."