The Boston Celtics sent a strong message to the rest of the league that they are not trading Rajon Rondo, but recent reports suggested that it will not prevent teams from at least asking about a potential trade for the superstar guard.
Senior NBA writer Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders revealed the New York Knicks remained as the team with the strongest interest in trading for Rondo, who has been one of the biggest subjects of trade rumors over the past few weeks.
Sources said that the Knicks are expected to intensify their pursuit of Rondo in hopes of turning their season around. The Knicks are in dire need for point guard help this season due to the injuries and inconsistencies of point guards Raymond Felton, Beno Udrih, and Pablo Prigioni.
"The New York Knicks have been the team with the strongest interest in potentially acquiring Rondo from the Celtics as the deadline nears. The Knicks' interest should come as no surprise as the team has endured their own struggles at point guard with the trio of Raymond Felton, Beno Udrih and Pablo Prigioni underachieving," Greene noted in his report.
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However, the Rondo-to-Knicks scenario appears unlikely at this point because the Celtics have zero interest on the current trade chips of the Knicks, who can only offer young prospects and their 2018 first-round picks after dealing away their high picks in previous transactions.
Aside from the unattractive assets of the Knicks, the Celtics are still leaning towards keeping Rondo as they continue to rebuild the team in the next few years.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge declined to name Rondo as the future of their franchise, but insisted that the 27-year-old point guard is a vital part of their team moving forward.
Ainge also revealed that they tried to sign Rondo to extension earlier this month.
The alleged two-year extension was reportedly rejected by Rondo not because the former Kentucky standout wants out of Boston, but because the two parties can negotiate better terms in the offseason. In July, the Celtics can put a three-year instead of a two-year deal on the table for the eight-year veteran.
Rondo, who is coming off an ACL injury that sidelined him for a year, averaged 6.7 points to go along with 5.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds in six games this season.
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