Danny Ainge, President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics, has always had a reputation as a risk-taker, as well as someone who is able to keep negotiations concerning possible trades and acquisitions under wraps. It is therefore difficult to figure out Danny's plans, but lately he has dropped more than a few hints that he intends to trade starting point guard Rajon Rondo.
Here are 10 clues that the usually stealthy Ainge has managed to let slip:
1. The Celtics selected guard Marcus Smart with the sixth pick in this year's NBA draft. During an interview after the draft, Ainge was asked if he would be taking any time off. He replied "Marcus Smart is a natural point guard that can start for any team in the NBA. He's not really suited to play the 2 or come off the bench. We hope to sign him to a 12-year contract and let him design our new road alternates."
2. Marcus Smart was born on March 6th, or 3/6. Three plus six equals 9, Rajon Rondo's current jersey number. When "Green Dream" blogger Nat Forsnops insisted on asking Smart about this at the post-draft press conference, Smart replied "Danny told me Rajon had been stripped of his number and captainship, and was assigned to the D-League. Has that not happened?"
3. Rajon Rondo had been unusually silent about the drafting of a point guard. When asked why he thought Rondo hadn't made a statement, Ainge replied "It is very difficult to make a statement when you are trapped in a giant, quickly-filling hourglass in my laundry room. I'm sure he'll say something soon, or be dead, whatever."
4. Recently, Ainge was overheard telling Rondo that he needed someone to spearhead a charity basketball event in North Korea, as a surprise birthday gift for Kim Jung-un. "Now remember," said Ainge, "this is a surprise, so make sure you sneak in unannounced. Also, it gets cold there, so wear this." Ainge then handed Rondo a sweatshirt on which the left sleeve was printed with the South Korean flag, the right sleeve with the US flag, and, across the back, an acronym that Ainge insisted stands for "Celtics International Ambassador."
5. Ainge has children named Austin, Crew, Cooper, Tanner, Taylor and Ashley. If you rearrange the letters of these names, it spells "Rondo to Sacramento, not welcome here, yo."
6. Jeff Green.
7. Celtics strength and conditioning coach Bryan Doo has been instructed to massage Rondo with melted butter in full view of power forward Jared Sullinger.
8. Llamas appear to have originated from the central plains of North America about 40 million years ago. They migrated to South America about three million years ago, as Ainge hopes Rondo will do immediately.
9. If Rondo weren't going to be traded, wouldn't Ainge be riding a horse across Massachusetts flying a banner with Rondo's face on it and yelling "Not getting traded! Not getting traded!"?
10. Three words: "Danny's Hand Jealousy."