Reports circulated Thursday that the Boston Celtics are engaged in discussions with the Dallas Mavericks about a deal for point guard Rajon Rondo.
According to ESPN, the Mavs would send multiple draft picks, including a first-rounder, and center Brandan Wright and possibly others to the Celtics to make the deal fit under the salary cap.
Other reports indicated that the Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets expressed interest in a deal for Rondo.
ESPN reported that the Lakers offered draft picks and point guard Steve Nash, who is injured and in the final year of his contract, to the Celtics. Two weeks ago, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant had breakfast with Rondo while in Boston but said it was a social meeting and not about business.
Rondo is set to become a free agent this summer after his contract expires and has been the subject of multiple trade rumors the past few years.
“It’s a way of life since I’ve been here,” he said. “It’s just part of it.”
Celtics general manager Danny Ainge told WBZ-FM in Boston on Thursday that his job is to make the team better, but in the past he has said he sees Rondo as part of the Celtics’ future.
“Listen, my job is to look at all the different ways and pathways for us to be a championship team,” Ainge said. “This is the time of the year that there’s a lot of talking and calling that’s going on. Part of my job is to explore the variety of ways there are to get us to our next championship. And that’s all we’re trying to do — just build a winner.”
The 28-year-old Rondo has expressed a desire to remain in Boston but is expected to test the free-agent waters this summer.
Could the Celtics move on without him?
“I don’t know. That’s a good question,” Ainge said. “Rajon has been a big part of our team, not just this year but for the past years, as we know. We haven’t really seen what (rookie) Marcus Smart has been able to do yet because he hasn’t been healthy. He’s got such a shortage of minutes and opportunities to play with the ankle sprain. So it’s a good question. I don’t think any of us know the answer to that.”