Rajon Rondo will not sign a contract extension with the Boston Celtics, allowing him to join next summer’s heralded free-agent class, the player’s agent told Yahoo! Sports late Monday.
Rondo and the Celtics have until Saturday to negotiate an extension, but his agent, Bill Duffy, said the point guard has already made a decision to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Duffy said he has had recent talks with the Celtics about Rondo, but the negotiations never progressed enough to lead him to believe the sides were close to a deal. Celtics president Danny Ainge couldn’t be reached for comment.
"We’re not going to do an extension right now," Duffy said. "The conversation has been cordial. We’ve been talking the last couple of weeks. There is a difference between the perception of him in their eyes and our eyes. With that being said, the focus is on Rajon to have a fantastic season and concentrate on winning a championship."Duffy, who also counts Steve Nash(notes) among his clients, said he is seeking a contract that would pay Rondo like one of the NBA's top five point guards.
The Celtics, Duffy said, "feel differently."
Well, that's a shame. I was hoping to get this lose end wrapped up before the season but instead I'll have to worry about it all year. Oh well.
Update: WEEI reports
A source close to the situation has told Jeff Goodman of WEEI.com and FoxSports.com that the Celtics’ offered point guard Rajon Rondo a contract extension worth five years and $45 million, with Rondo’s representatives asking for between $55-60 million over the same number of years. The Celtics presented their offer to Rondo’s reps in a meeting, Monday night.