Rajon Rondo: Holdover from the Past or Bridge to the Future

(Courtesy of the Boston Herald)

     The trade of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets this offseason signaled the end of an era for the Boston Celtics. Pierce has been synonymous with the Celtics for the past 15 seasons and Garnett brought a championship back to Boston. Their departures have paved the way for a full-scale rebuild for the team.  The Nets sent four possible first round picks to the Celtics for the two future hall-of-famers, which should help supplement Boston's rebuild. In the meantime, the team is now younger, and more athletic but also inexperienced and offensively inept. These shortcomings will be overlooked since the goal will be to give young players such as Avery Bradley, Jeff Green, and Jared Sullinger as many minutes as possible to help their development. Naturally, the Celtics will more than likely lose plenty of games this season due to their youth movement, but that in turn will likely yield a probability of selecting one of the studs available in the 2014 draft.  All of the elements are in place for the Celtics to completely embrace a long overdue rebuild, but before this can occur, they must figure out what to do with the last remaining member of the 2008 championship team: Rajon Rondo.  As it stands now, the team can either keep him as crucial piece to their future, or trade him to bring in more assets.  

The Case for Keeping Rondo
To put it plainly, Rondo is the best player left on the Celtics' roster at the moment and that should be enough of a reason to keep him.  He is their best playmaker and has been one of the best assist men in the NBA for the past few seasons.  The team currently lacks any significant offensive firepower, but at least Rondo would keep the offense organized.  He and Bradley would also make a very good defensive backcourt capable of pestering opposing guards.  Additionally, Rondo is young enough to be considered an integral part of the Celtics' new core and cheap enough not to disrupt their cap situation too much. This new era of Celtics basketball will thrust Rondo into a leadership position where he could potentially emerge as an even better player than before, one capable of leading the team back to prominence. If the Celtics believe that Rondo is capable of that, then Danny Ainge and Co. might be better served sticking it out and seeing where he takes them.  

The Case for Trading Rondo  
Rajon Rondo is coming off ACL surgery, and while it is no longer a death sentence to an NBA player's career, it is significant enough to cause concern. Fortunately, his playing style does not require tremendous athleticism or leaping ability, and he should be recovered by the time this season starts. Injury concerns aside, the other 31 NBA teams should be well aware of what Rondo can do on the court when he is healthy. One of the premier floor generals in the league, Rondo is capable of spearheading a defense and effectively orchestrating an offense. He is also known as one of the most competitive players and might not adapt well to the Celtics rebuilding plan, which is sure to come with its fair share of losses. The defeats could potentially weigh on him and further agitate a notoriously petulant player. The Celtics would be wise to entertain offers for Rondo as he is still capable of contributing to a contender in need of an elite point guard.  

The Celtics have entered a transitional period for the franchise. The team is no longer contending for an NBA championship, and will not be anytime soon. The goal should be to acquire cheap, young assets and draft picks to rebuild the franchise from the ground up. Unfortunately, that means parting with any remnants of the era, and that includes Rajon Rondo.  The rebuild requires a clean slate with young players put in positions earn playing time and grow their games. Rondo would merely inhibit their progress with his stubborn nature, and in turn negatively affect an impressionable young locker room. Danny Ainge would be wise to deal Rondo while he still has value and begin the Celtics' rebuild on the right foot.