The Dallas Mavericks "would love having" Rajon Rondo and could attempt to acquire the Boston Celtics point guard this summer, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. General manager Danny Ainge told reporters Rondo won't be traded, but the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn says Dallas could make a run anyways.
NBA trade rumors: Mavericks reportedly interested in Rajon Rondo
The Celtics don’t plan to deal Rajon Rondo, but Dallas reportedly is trying to trade for the point guard anyway.
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Rondo could potentially bolster the Mavs' pitch to free agent Dwight Howard, but Wojnarowski says the Celtics would need Dallas to take multiple contracts back in any possible Rondo trade. Players with bloated deals Boston could attempt to ship out include Gerald Wallace (three years, $30.3 million), Courtney Lee (three years, $16.4 million) and Brandon Bass (two years, $13.4 million).
If the Mavericks are forced to take back too much money, though, it’s difficult to see how they could also afford to acquire Howard. He’ll command a max deal on the open market, and adding millions in payroll from Rondo, plus Wallace, Lee and/or Bass, could complicate the Mavs’ pursuit even with another star player to the mix. Rondo is owed $25 million over the next two years.
It's unclear if Boston even wants to trade Rondo after giving up Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, but a deal would signal major rebuilding for the team. One suggested deal could include Shawn Marion and picks, which would help to cushion the financial blow for Dallas. It's hard to imagine Boston settling for that kind of deal, however.
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