Rajon Rondo has been involved in trade rumors in the past few weeks, but Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge insisted once again that they are not shopping their All-Star point guard.
In an interview with Boston Globe, Ainge played down the trade talks surrounding Rondo in the past few weeks, saying that those are just plain rumors with no solid sources.
"It's just people, like I think recently, somebody, one of the national media guys, made a comment like, 'Oh, I was talking with some NBA people on the road and they all think Danny is going to trade Rondo," Ainge pointed out. "Well, it's not like there's a source. It's just people that have their own opinion, sitting around, having a Diet Coke, talking about what I'm going to do with Rondo, which is fine."
The Celtics are clearly on a rebuilding mode after parting ways with long-time franchise player Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, while also releasing former head coach Doc Rivers, who is now coaching the Los Angeles Lakers.
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The 2008 NBA champions acquired several draft picks and young talents in the past few months, which raises questions on what Rondo's role will be in Boston moving forward.
Ainge himself doesn't view Rondo as the future of the franchise, but he quickly added that the 27-year-old point guard is a vital part of their future as proven by their recent attempt to sign Rondo to an extension.
According to previous reports, Ainge sat down with Rondo and his representatives about a possible contract extension, but the eight-year veteran politely declined to take the offer.
Ainge said that they are not yet in panic mode since he totally expected that Rondo will not accept the extension, adding that they are looking forward to negotiating again next summer.
In a recent interview, Rondo gave Celtics fans a sigh of relief after he insisted that staying in Boston is his top priority despite his looming free agency in the summer of 2015, even saying that he is open to spending the next 10 seasons with the Celtics.
"I like to stick to the script," Rondo said in an interview with ESPN Boston. "I don't like change much. I wouldn't mind staying here the rest of my career. Things don't always seem to go that way, but like I said before, it's just a business. I wouldn't mind extending another 10 years in Boston."
Rondo, who is coming off a one-year layoff from an ACL injury, averaged 5.0 points to go along with 5.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds in his first four games this season.
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