Sorry, Lakers fans, eating breakfast with Kobe Bryant is the closest Rajon Rondo will be to playing in Los Angeles, as the Boston Celtics finally unloaded their point guard (and free agent-to-be) in a trade that will net them players and picks from the Dallas Mavericks in return.
Trade call coming tonight between Dallas and Boston, Rondo has been traded to the Mavericks, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) December 18, 2014
Boston will send Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell to Dallas for Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jamar Nelson, 2015 first-round and future second. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) December 18, 2014
The trade makes sense for both sides. Dallas — with an aging Dirk Nowitzki — is in win-now mode and desperately needed defensive help on the perimeter. The Celtics are still rebuilding and picked up a bunch of pieces to help in that process. From a league perspective, the Western Conference is even more stacked than before, especially at the point guard position: Damian Lillard, Mike Conley, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Goran Dragic/Eric Bledsoe. Add Rondo into the mix, and it’s easily deepest the position has ever been. And that’s just one conference. Needless to say, the playoffs are going to be absolutely bonkers this spring.
Also, in honor of Rondo’s big day, let’s revisit this: