Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo is about to enter free agency soon, fueling speculation on which team wants him the most on their roster.
However, an anonymous executive from the NBA Eastern Conference has told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated that he doesn't know the trade value of Rondo. The executive also noted that only a few NBA teams needed a point guard on their lineup, such as the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
"I don't know how high it is," the anonymous executive said. "He is a free agent at the end of the year. A team that trades for him will have half a season to convince him to stay."
The executive then stated that Rondo "has to be in a city that he wants to be in" and acknowledged that his trade value would have been higher "if he didn't get hurt last year."
While the anonymous NBA executive thinks Rondo is not a "max guy" who can "carry a team," he does note that Rondo is a great player who is more of a "facilitator."
"I think he has to be surrounded by the right pieces," the executive said. "Boston might be the right place for him."
Other teams that are interested in a Rondo trade, besides the Rockets and Lakers, include the New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers. However, an article from Sports World Report indicated that a deal involving Rondo could hinge on how the Celtics play in the 2014-15 season.
Speculation of a trade involving Rondo has been swirling around for the past two years. According to Sports World Report, there have been conflicting reports on whether the Celtics guard will stay on his team or be traded somewhere else.
"Both sides make sense, as the Celtics want to see if they can keep Rondo, while the point guard likely will make a ton of money as a free agent, so he is in no rush to get traded," Sports World Report stated.
However, Jeff Clark of CelticsBlog thinks that another unlikely team from Oklahoma City could step up and take on the Rondo trade. He cautioned that it might not work from a financial perspective.
"The Thunder could be one to watch," Clark wrote. "They have pieces to shed in a sign-and-trade, and a Russell Westbrook-Rondo backcourt would be fascinating. Might not work financially, but it's a possibility."
Sports World Report has stated that although Rondo had an ACL surgery last season, his performance on the court could make him "the most coveted free agent on the market."
