Rajon Rondo trade shakes up both Mavericks, Celtics
As unfathomable as it may seem, the NBA's ultra-competitive Western Conference just got deeper, more talented and more compelling.
Thursday, the Dallas Mavericks reached a deal to acquire four-time All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo from the Boston Celtics, and the Mavericks are now looking at this impressive starting lineup: Rondo, shooting guard Monta Ellis, small forward Chandler Parsons, power forward Dirk Nowitzki and center Tyson Chandler.
Already the top offensive team in the league, scoring 113.6 points per 100 possessions, the Mavs added a quality point guard whose main objective is to create for others.
But even with that outstanding offense and a 19-8 record, Dallas is still behind Memphis and Houston in the Southwest Division and in sixth place in the conference standings. The Mavs felt they needed to make a move that would help them climber higher in the standings and believe Rondo is the player to help them do that.
The deal came at a cost to the Mavericks. They sent quality reserves, improved center Brandan Wright and backup point guard Jameer Nelson, and Jae Crowder, plus a 2015 first-round pick and 2016 second-round pick to the Celtics.
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It was a both a long-term and short-term move for Dallas. The Mavericks also want Rondo, who is a free agent after the season, to be their point guard for the next few seasons, too.
With a mediocre Celtics team this season, Rondo is leading the league in assists at 10.8 per game. He should be a sound fit in Rick Carlisle's offense, which uses a heavy dose of tough-to-defend pick-and-rolls. Rondo can deliver both the flashy pass and the simple pass and is proficient at getting players the ball in spots where they are effective.
Rondo is not a great scorer, but capable enough to keep teams honest, especially on drives to the basket. He will also bring defensive tenacity to the Mavericks, who are 20th in points allowed per 100 possessions.
There's a steady dose of All-Star quality point guards in the West almost every night – Golden State's Steph Curry, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, Portland's Damian Lillard, Memphis' Mike Conley, San Antonio's Tony Parker, Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul, Denver's Ty Lawson, Phoenix's Goran Dragic – and the Mavs needed one to combat that.
Dallas was already good. How much better can Rondo make them? The move was made with the idea that it will make Dallas a championship team.
For Boston, this was a business decision with a focus on the future. Rondo's name has long been associated with potential trades, but the Celtics had him locked into a solid deal and weren't in a hurry to unload him. Until now. Boston is in the early stages of a rebuild under second-year coach Brad Stevens, and it was becoming clear that Rondo wasn't going to stick around through tough times much longer.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, who is determined to make the Celtics a contender again, wanted something for Rondo before his trade value declined even more.
Ainge got a decent haul in return. Wright has really improved, but he's in the final year of his contract and will have his share of offers. Jameer Nelson is a serviceable role player at this stage of his career and is on a friendly salary through 2015-16.
The Celtics will be one of several teams under the cap with a money to spend in free agency in July. Plus, Ainge finagled this little nugget in the deal: a $12.9 trade exception, which allows the Celtics to make a trade without sending salary back to another team. Ainge has one year to use it.
The draft picks, name the first-rounder, are important in Boston's effort to rebuild (and by the way, Stevens is making headway on the court). The Celtics could have three first-round picks in the June draft and three in 2016, two in 2017, plus a handful of second-round picks.
On paper, both teams got what they wanted, which is the ideal trade. For Dallas, the true result will be known soon. For Boston, it will take some time to discover the true value of this deal.