Stein: the Knicks' "futile" attempt to get Rondo

In yet another episode of Everyone Loves Rajon, these Marc Stein tweets are the best:

Knicks' lust for new PG, I'm told, has inevitably prompted them to try to nudge Celts into Rondo talks ... even though they know it's futile

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2014

Knicks know they lack assets to even tempt Celts. But you'll recall @WindhorstESPN reporting earlier this season Rondo is NYK dream target

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2014

Credit Stein for using words like "lack," "lust," "tempt," and "futile" in describing New York's attempts to pry Rondo away from the Celtics. With many of us waiting with baited breath (<--a phrase I only know because of the late great Johnny Most) for the other shoe to drop with the trade deadline fast approaching, a laugh here and there is a nice break from the rumor madness.

Sean Deveney of the Sporting News is reporting that "despite swirling rumors, expect Rondo to stay with Celtics." One source says:

"It really is the same thing, teams call about him but the Celtics want him and he wants to be the leader of that team," one source said. "It has always been his intention to establish himself in that role, to be part of the rebuilding and to stay in Boston for a long time. Nothing has changed."

More from Deveney:

#Celtics hope rebuilding culminates w/one of the many bigs in '15 FA class (Love, Hibbert, Jordan, Lopez etc). Protecting cap space for that

— Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) February 18, 2014

If #Celtics want to lure Love, Aldridge or one of the '15 FA big men, guess what they need? Top-flight, pass-first PG. You know, like Rondo

— Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) February 18, 2014