Would Rajon Rondo be available at the right price?

When Boston Celtics point-guard Rajon Rondo signed a multi-year extension in the Fall of 2009 with the Boston Celtics, the first thing I did was buy a Rajon Rondo jersey. If you know my personally, you know I take the research into my jersey purchases very seriously. I take a look at contracts, general feeling within the organization and local popularity when buying a jersey. The goal is to buy a player that will be in that teams jersey for a long time or if he was to leave and retire would be remembered for wearing that jersey. There were Rondo trade rumors in the summer of 2009, but the Celtics showed their faith in the up and coming star by locking him up for the foreseeable future.

Boston Celtics GM is always looking to improve the Boston Celtics, and this past year has certainly shown that he is willing to break up the family in order to make the team “better” (excuse me while I pour one out for Kendrick Perkins).

The general thought is that if Danny were to make any kind of deal, he would trade one of the Big Three (most likely forward Kevin Garnett) in order to acquire a piece to pair with Rajon Rondo for years to come. It is not entirely out of the question that Rajon Rondo could be the man getting dealt for, as Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix puts it “the right (big) deal”.

Rajon Rondo is a point-guard you can build a team around. He’s a stat sheet stuffer at points, assists and rebounds and makes everyone better while he is on the floor. He also has an inate ability to get to the basket against almost any defense. His issues have been well documented. He doesn’t have a jump shot at this stage in his career and even when he gets an open look from mid-range he lacks the confidence to shoot it. You can build a team around Rondo simply because he makes everyone better, but you need to pair him with a scorer to find success.

Which is why I could see Rondo getting moved, but only for a legitimate star. There are two stars on the trading block this summer, New Orleans’ Chris Paul and Orlando’s Dwight Howard. I think the only way Rondo gets moved if one of these two are involved. Howard solidifies the center position for the Celtics for a long time to come. Chris Paul is also a point-guard, just like Rondo, but Chris Paul is a more talented player than Rondo and would be an upgrade at the “young point guard the Celtics can build around” spot.

The chances that any of these type of deals happens is small, but given Ainge’s recent track record with trades, it’s certainly something to keep an eye on as the summer progresses.

Source: Iguodala and Ellis Deal is Done

As the NBA Draft nears, the trade-winds are beginning to blow.

Its reported that the Andre Iguodala for Monta Ellis deal is imminent, pending a final decision from Philadelphia 76ers President Rod Thorn.

The Sixers are sitting in an unfamiliar position with Iguodala, who's contract has long made the thought of trading him improbable. With a renewed commitment to defense and a more evident propensity to be a role player, Iguodala has suddenly become very attractive.

The Sixers would benefit from Ellis' scoring ability while the Warrior's would strengthen their defensive backbone and add a versatile supporter for Stephen Curry.

"At the very least, Ellis is available for the right price, as the Sixers have a deal on the table for Ellis if they want him. The Warriors are looking for ways to improve their team defense and Iguodala would definitely do that. [Via Hoopsworld]"

The Sixers have also had interest in Los Angeles Clippers Center Chris Kaman.

Kaman, a solid NBA veteran and a much needed post presence does not offer the same excitement as an Ellis, but may ultimately be a better option.

Josh Smith open to joining the Boston Celtics

Apparently, the Atlanta Hawks are getting sick of Josh Smith.

Smith, the high-flying power forward who has been a mainstay with Atlanta since entering the league and has been a major contributor to the franchise's turnaround and return to relevance, is likely to be traded during whatever offseason the NBA has this year. According to Yahoo! Sports, the Boston Celtics are on Smith's list of preferable trade destinations.

The Atlanta Hawks have started to gauge trade interest on forward Josh Smith, and Smith isn’t averse to ending his seven-year stay with his hometown team, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Monday.

Smith hasn’t requested a trade, but has privately told league friends that the Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic are his preferred destinations should the Hawks decide to move him.

“The relationship has run its course,” said a league source with knowledge of the dynamic.

There’s been growing acrimony between Smith and the organization, sources said, largely because of the feeling that Smith has been too convenient of a scapegoat. Smith had one of his most complete seasons for the Hawks, averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Hawks GM Rick Sund has long coveted Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen – two aging Celtics entering the final years of contracts – but Celtics GM Danny Ainge has yet to show an inclination to break up his core for next season.

Would I love to see Josh Smith in a Celtics uniform? Absolutely. He's young, athletic and has moments and stretches where he looks like he could be one of the best players that the NBA has to offer. He's a player that Rajon Rondo would salivate over having on his team as the number of lobs being thrown during the duration of a game could be record-breaking. Smith can grab a ton of rebounds just on his leaping ability alone and has the ability to be a great help defender.

Would I love to see Josh Smith in a Celtics uniform at the expense of Kevin Garnett or Ray Allen? I don't know about that. KG and Allen, regardless of their age, have defined roles in Doc Rivers' system and they continue to be successful at those roles. Garnett is still the unquestioned leader of the defense while Ray has to constantly be accounted for on the perimeter by the opponent. Smith, while a good help defender, has questioned ability about always being where he needs to be on that end of the floor. Also, while teamed up with Rondo, the Celtics could have two guys that the opponent doesn't truly need to defend outside of 15 feet. Smith can also be a coiled spring and team chemistry has to be factored in to any move that Danny Ainge is thinking about making (see Kendrick Perkins).

As in any other trade, there is a risk/reward aspect to this. The Celtics would get their youth, but lose a ton of leadership and possibly damage team chemistry.

There's a reason why I don't want Danny's job.

Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo And Doc Rivers Are A Possible Lure For Dwight Howard?

HoopsHype: You worked with Hakeem Olajuwon last summer. You’re going to do that again?

 Dwight Howard: I will work with Michael Jordan (laughs). I will continue working with Hakeem on my offensive game but also a shooting specialist to improve my free throw percentage. I will also work with Hedo Turkoglu, Doc Rivers and Rajon Rondo because I want to become a better passer. I also want to work with LeBron. (laughs)

Dwight Howard Courtesy Of HoopsHype.com

What seems like a minor comment could mean a whole lot more. The bottom line is Mr. Howard is going to be a free agent after this 2012 season. Talks with Orlando have broken down on an extension and Howard has made it clear that he intends to test the free agent waters. This comment is a window into the mind of one Dwight Howard and his feelings on Boston.

                The obvious news here is he mentions Boston Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers and Rajon Rondo in this comment. He mentions Jordan, Olajuwon, LeBron, and Turkoglu. These names make sense. Olajuwon is one of the greatest of all time as far as post moves and Howard is already one of his students. Jordan is the greatest scorer of all time and the guy Howard probably tried to emulate as a kid. Hedo is his teammate. LeBron is a friend and considered one of the top three forces on a basketball court (except when it matters most). Why Doc and Rondo? Guys like Steve Nash and Chris Paul are considered top passers and have a higher assists per game average than Rondo. Rondo may be one of the best passers, but he is the first guy one thinks of when a person thinks pass? Doc Rivers is a great coach and was a great passer in his day, but is Doc the authority on ball movement to the point that he is the first guy an NBA player thinks of? The answer to these questions is no, unless your name is Dwight Howard.

                This comments shows that Howard has Boston on the brain. Howard could have easily mentioned his own point guard in Jameer Nelson and his own coach in Stan Van Gundy. He could have thrown Kobe’s name out there. He could have name dropped Rick Carlisle, but he chose Doc. The man has battled the Celtics and knows how great a coach Doc is due to the frustration that he caused him. Howard mentioned Rondo because he knows how dominant he can be. He watched Rondo pick apart his team in the 2010 playoffs. Howard has battled these men andthese comments show the amount of respect Howard has for the Celtics. I am not saying that Howard is a lock to come to Boston. However comments like this show that it is a much more real possibility than people realize. I believe Ainge knows this and that s why Kendrick Perkins was not offered a realistic contract extension.

Danny  Ainge wants Howard. Howard’s comments show he might be open to traveling north. If the man can pull off the KG and Allen trades, do not count Ainge out on landing the dominant big man. This story’s final chapter has not been written. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!!!!!

Lakers Looking To Trade Pau Gasol For Kevin Love, #2 Pick?

If you believe the rumors, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been shopping the second overall pick in this year’s draft to any number of teams in the league. And according to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.com, the Los Angeles Lakers might be the next team in line to make an offer.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak recently mentioned the team’s desire to have a top-five pick in the draft. Meanwhile, T-Wolves GM David Kahn reportedly is interested in Gasol, who has a good relationship with point guard Ricky Rubio, who on Friday announced his intentions to play in the NBA.

But in order for Minnesota to acquire Gasol, they would have to shed quite a bit of salary. And the Lakers would likely want a quality big man in exchange for giving up one of the best post players in the league. That is where Love could get involved. However his $3.6 million salary isn’t enough to match up with Gasol’s $17.8 value, meaning other players would need to come to Los Angeles to even things out.

Right now, any deal between the two sides would be a long shot – especially with the Lakers saying how much they’d like to keep their core group together. But as we get closer to Draft Day, most anything can happen.

Lebron believes Destiny is to blame

Miami Heat star King Lebron James is trying his best to handle his team's defeat to the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games gracefully in the public. Telling media after the game that "the ball doesn't go in every time" and "personal failures" resulted in the loss of the series. Most of the media will tear in his long quote about the negative fan reaction ("haters") that he gave at the post-game presser:

"At the end of the day, all the people that were rooting for me to fail ... at the end of the day, tomorrow they have to wake up and have the same life that [they had] before they woke up today. They got the same personal problems they had today. And I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things I want to do."

That comment does deserve some analysis, but that quote seems very bland and generic to me. The quote, actually the tweet, that sticks out to me is the one he delivers via Twitter @KingJames:

"The Greater Man upstairs know when it's my time. Right now isn't the time." 

Although it is not a Stevie Johnson (Bills WR) type of "God" tweet, when he blamed God for making him fail to catch a game-winning pass, it still is not a smart route to blame destiny as well as yourself for shortcomings in life. This is the same guy who proclaimed a very bright destiny for the Miami Heat when he told them, "not 1, not 2, not 3" and so on titles in the near future for the Miami franchise after his arrival with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Tomorrow will just be the same life for all NBA fans and myself. Lebron just hopes tomorrow's destiny is not the same as his current, ringless.

Someone Heading Out Of The Miami Heat, Dwight Howard Coming In?

2 EXCLUSIVE RUMORS

There's two BIG rumors to report on. Remember the post I wrote a few weeks ago which talked about the Miami Heat NOT BEING ABLE to keep the Big Three (James, Wade, Bosh)? Well ALREADY rumors are flying around that the Heat are already looking into trading someone. The word is that they might REALLY break the Big Three apart, and trade away Chris Bosh.

AGAIN IT'S A RUMOR, but if true, then it could explain the next rumor. There's word that if Bosh is traded from Miami, then that'll give the Heat a chance to put together a package deal to get Dwight Howard down to South Florida. It's something that possibly could happen if Miami can put something good together. Remember when Lebron James was trying to decide on where to go back in the summer of 2010? Dwight spoke with Vibe Magazine during that time about why he wouldn't be joining Lebron in Miami. He said the following:

I was cool with it until I saw all the interviews and the concert. What they were saying at the press conference kind of pissed me off. It’s like, okay now y’all forgetting about the teams y’all gotta play against. It pissed a lot of people off. Everybody’s gonna be gunning for them after those interviews. I’m the type of person that feels humility is always the best route. I’ma be juiced up for the season, but I’ma definitely be ready to go.

Rumor: Bulls exploring offers for Boozer

After a disappointing post-season performance, Chicago Bulls first year power forward Carlos Boozer may be traded this offseason. The Chicago Bulls are expected to explore deals for Carlos Boozer, if any team is interested. Especially since Carlos Boozer just signed a new pricey contract, during the famous 2010 free agent class, with Chicago for 5 years/$75 million total. For a player who showed this post-season that he prevalently has defensive lapses throughout a game, many championship contending teams will presumably lose interest due to his price-tag. 
   Some other NBA speculation is that the Chicago Bulls are looking to trade up in this month's draft with their 28th and 30th overall picks. With those two first round draft choices in their pocket, the Bulls could set up a nice package to trade up in this years draft and part ways with Carlos Boozer. The emergence of Taj Gibson this post-season definitely will play a part in Carlos Boozer's future with the Bulls this offseason. Additionally the dire need of a shooting guard for the last two to three years will too.

Will The Philadelphia 76ers Shop Andre Iguodala This Off-Season?

By: David Kay

Philadelphia 76ers (41-41 last season)

’10-’11 Season in Review: 
A year after finishing with their worst record in more than a decade, the Philadelphia 76ers returned to respectability behind first year head coach Doug Collins, only to bow out to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

Balance was both a strength and weakness for the Sixers this past season.  No player averaged more than 15 points per game but eight players scored at least seven per contest.  It is nice to have that shared output on the offensive end but also left the team without a true go-to player when they needed a basket.

Elton Brand remained healthy for a second straight season but is still a shell of the player he was pre-injury with the Clippers and one of the most overpaid players in the league with more than $35 million owed his way for the next two seasons.  Andre Iguodala saw his scoring numbers dip but still contributed in all areas of the game finishing second on the team in points, rebounds, and assists, and leading the team in steals.

The drafting of Evan Turner with the second overall pick was questioned by some since it was uncertain as to how he would compliment Iggy on the wing.  Those worries came to light in Turner’s rookie year as his offensive production was incredibly sporadic due to struggles shooting the rock.  Philly still faces the issue of figuring out how to best use Iguodala and Turner since they both are not threats from beyond the arc.

The two biggest positives of the season came from second year players Jrue Holiday and Jodie Meeks.  Holiday solidified his status as the point guard of the future which is especially encouraging since he is only 21 years old.  Meeks ended up starting 64 games and ended up being Philly’s three-point threat. Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams were also bright spots, proving to be valuable assets off the bench.

Spencer Hawes was brought in to strengthen the inside play but actually regressed from his lackluster days in Sacramento.  His disappointing season often times forced Collins to go with a smaller line-up that put Brand at center and Young at power forward, or even play the undersized Marresse Speights in the middle.

With no cap flexibility this off-season, the 76ers do not have a ton of room for improvement unless they are willing to deal Iguodala which will almost certainly be an on-going rumor all summer.  It is something Philly will have to at least consider because the ceiling for their current roster is not high enough to become real players in the improving Eastern Conference and there is no sign of cap relief until the summer of 2013.

Warrior Star Monta Ellis Heading To The Chicago Bulls

Current Warrior star Monta Ellis might be traded out of the Bay Area. (San Jose Mercury News) is reporting that new man in town Jerry West could put Ellis in a  trade situation. Even though Ellis is a high value player, the trade would give the Warriors flexibility within their own roster. West could try to set up a trade which could send Ellis to the Chicago Bulls, or the Memphis Grizzlies, but most believe the Chicago Bulls is the landing spot for the star. It's also a possibility that the Warriors after dealing with Ellis could pick up Rudy Gay from Memphis. The endless possibility.