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Jackie MacMullan said in a video posted Wednesday by ESPN's Around the Horn that Boston Celtics captain Rajon Rondo "wants out" and that a trade "will happen." (Update: The video was removed from YouTube on Sunday evening.)
But whether or not Jackie's words are true doesn't matter here. The fact is there just aren't many teams that would be interested in Rondo right now, and of those teams, very few have what it takes to get a deal done.
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Even she says, "I don't see how you get 80 cents on the dollar for him. Tell me where."
And I can't tell you where.
As outlined in my "9 for 9" article posted in July, it's very difficult to find potential destinations for Rondo. Places like Milwaukee, Sacramento, and New York may have interest, but do they really have what it takes to complete a deal? Probably not.
Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, and Indiana could have enough for a fair deal, but is it enough to really make Danny Ainge pull the trigger? Doubt it.
Houston is the only team that has enough to offer Boston right now. A package that includes Clint Capela, Alessandro Gentile, two first round picks, and a handful of non-guaranteed contracts (the Rockets have five of them) would probably be enough to start some realistic conversations, but even then, why pull the trigger this summer?
Some other team could get desperate, but that probably wouldn't happen until next year once with the trade deadline approaching. As Gary Washburn wrote last week, "moving Rondo is not a high priority," and nor should it be at this point in time. If Houston or another team can blow Boston away, then maybe you pull the trigger before the season, but that is highly unlikely.
If Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck has one thing going for him, it's that the fans have consistently approved of Rondo trades, at least on my non-scientific CelticsBlog polls over the course of the past year. Boston fans are so loyal and wouldn't jump ship if a fan favorite was traded.
With this latest rumor, I thought I'd ask that question again in the poll posted below. This matters and it does factor into certain personnel decisions made by sports organizations. I know that if Rondo was traded before the season the TD Garden would still be a packed house, with fans screaming their lungs out at a young, exciting team.
But still. Regardless of what the fans want, there just isn't enough out there to realistically get a deal completed for Rajon Rondo. Chances are we'll see number nine return for his ninth season with the franchise, but maybe it will be his last.