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Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics All Star point guard and championship star, has been traded to the Dallas Mavericks, joining Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, Chandler Parson and Tyson Chandler in the biggest NBA trade of the 2014-15 season so far. The Celtics will reportedly receive Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson and both a future 1st and 2nd round draft pick for the temperamental Rondo. It's a clear tanking move from the Celtics who will now look to land a Top 5 pick in the 2015 NBA draft to pair with this year's lottery pick, Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart. Will the move mean Mark Cuban's team — currently at 19-8 — stand a better chance of making to the NBA finals?
Rondo leaves Boston after winning the 2008 NBA championship with the Celtics alongside legends Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and coach Doc Rivers. He was the last of that group to still be with the Celtics.
ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting that Dallas and Boston "have an agreement in principle" to ship Rondo - who leads the NBA in assists but is also in the last year of his current contract - to Dallas for "Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson and a future first- and second-round draft pick."
ESPN sources say Mavericks and Celtics are progressing toward completion of Rajon Rondo trade tonight
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) December 18, 2014
ESPN sources say teams closing in on swap to send Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, one future first & one future second to Celts — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) December 18, 2014
Says one source close to Boston/Dallas talks on Rajon Rondo: "The deal is on course to happen tonight."
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) December 18, 2014
It's not a huge return for Rondo, but it appears that it's the best package Celtics GM Danny Ainge could get for the point guard.
Stein adds that there's still a possibility that additional players will enter the deal between the teams with the Celtics also having to move players on their roster to accommodate the incoming Dallas players to fit under the allowable number of roster bodies, but "Rondo to the Mavericks is expected to be completed by the end of the night."
Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski also reported the deal, tweeting:
Trade call coming tonight between Dallas and Boston, Rondo has been traded to the Mavericks, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) December 18, 2014
Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix says that the Celtics will also "send reserve forward Dwight Powell to Dallas", in addition to the 28 year old Rondo, who is averaging 8.3 points, 10.8 assists and 7.5 rebounds.
The @celtics have agreed to trade Rajon Rondo to the @dallasmavs https://t.co/dYSPpbkDGw pic.twitter.com/HrRiRccSA4 — Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 18, 2014
As SB Nation's Kevin Zimmerman points out, the Celtics guard was in high demand as the Mavericks "fended off the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers", who were all involved in trade rumors for the testy guard.
It works for the Mavs, says Zimmerman as "It should help that both Nowitzki and Parsons will have more catch-and-shoot opportunities playing with Rondo." Meanwhile, for the Celtics "Wright should add a shotblocking presence that neither Jared Sullinger nor Kelly Olynyk bring," while "Crowder provides more wing athleticism", and the additional first-round pick "is the sixth Boston owns in the next two years".
What do you think? It's not a huge return for a player of Rondo's caliber, could the Celtics have gotten more for their All Star point guard? Will adding Rondo help put Dallas over the top in the super competitve Western Conference, or are the Golden State Warriors and L.A. Clippers still the team to beat? And will Rondo resign with Dallas after the season?
