Five Reasons Boston Should Keep Rondo

Trader's remorse much, Mr. Ainge? How else do you explain what we've heard in the past 72 hours? ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported last night that after the playoffs last season, the Celtics offered Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green for Kendrick Perkins and Russell Westbrook, a clear concession from Boston GM Danny Ainge that the Jeff Green for Kendrick Perkins deadline swap was a major misfire. Ainge got played. Badly. The trade offer was quickly rebuffed by Sam Presti.

Now Ainge is looking to upgrade once again, this time offering up Rondo to the Hornets for Chris Paul. Ainge is also reportedly looking for a third trading partner to sweeten the deal for New Orleans.

Big Easy bound?

In 2007, Ainge's friend and former Celtics teammate, Kevin McHale handed Kevin Garnett in a cute little red bow agreeing to trade Al Jefferson, four bums and two low first-round picks for the future hall-of-famer. The lopsided deal resulted in a world championship in 2008 for Boston, the Celtics' first NBA Finals win since 1985-86. Since then, Ainge has fancied himself as a GM mastermind. When my mom gives me 50 bucks for gas money, I don't walk around like I'm an oil tycoon.

Ainge is looking for another blockbuster to offset last year's deadline debacle. But without the safety net of a friend as a trading partner, he simply comes off as desperate, overcompensating and overreaching for a superstar to win some PR points.

Trading for Chris Paul when the Celtics have so many other needs is a major mistake. Number one, financially Rondo is a bargain. He will make $10 million this year, and is signed through the 2014-2015 season, when he will make a reasonable $13 million. This season, Chris Paul will make $16.3 million. Ray Allen, KG and Jermaine O'Neal come off the books next season. I would rather build around Rondo for less.

Two, sources indicate that CP3 is unwilling to sign an extension if he is indeed traded to Boston. Why? Well, he probably sees what everyone sees — an aging team with no center and lack of an identity. Plus, he is being courted by his superstar friends in New York, LA and South Beach.

Will Stern let CP3 go?

Three, if the trade does go down AND he is willing to sign an extension, the new CBA established harsher restrictions on extend and trade deals. Paul would only be allowed to sign a one-year extension to his current contract (valued at $18.5 million). That would put him right back on the free-agent market in the summer of 2014. Are the Celtics willing to deal for Paul knowing he could bolt so quickly? Zach Lowe of SI.com delves deeper into the CBA and extend and trade deals, specifically regarding CP3 and Dwight Howard. I recommend it. Paul loses a significant amount of cash by agreeing to an extend and trade deal.

Four, the NBA currently owns the New Orleans Hornets. This is the same NBA that preached NBA parity throughout the NBA lockout. Would David Stern really trade New Orleans' ambassador to the game just as the season gets under way? I just don't see it happening.

Five, thanks to Ainge trading away their defensively minded 7 foot center, the Celtics have a glaring need for young big men. Ainge tried to piecemeal the center position with Jermaine and Shaquille O'Neal. This failed miserably. Shaq played in 37 games last season, Jermaine just 32. Trading Rondo is the lazy way out of this. Ainge found a quick fix in the Garnett deal. He won't get that when dealing Rondo. Basketball players can become better shooters. Rondo is 25. Strap him to the gym and force him to become a better all around player.

Look, Rondo can't shoot. I get that. Your point guard must shoot better than 56% from the line. According to Hoopdata.com, he only shot 27.6% on shots from 3-9 feet, a crime in some states. He averaged 10.6 points and 11.2 asts, last season and he raises his game to top five point guard status in the playoffs, averaging 13.8 pts., 8.5 asts., 5.8 rbs., a game. Is Chris Paul an upgrade? Yes, slightly. But not for a second do I believe a point guard swap gets the Celtics any closer to any NBA championship.

We Got a Deal

The NBA and Players Association have a tentative deal in place to begin the season on Christmas day, according to an ESPN report. Both sides provided little in the way of details, but did stress that they were optimistic everything will be ironed out in time to begin the season on Dec. 25.

The league is readying to play a 66-game season with training camps set to open Dec. 9. Free agency is set to begin on Dec. 9 as well.

Struggling Franchises on Different Paths

On April 11, New Jersey Nets shooting guard Sasha Vujacic drained a 23-foot three pointer with 10 seconds left, tying the game at 103 in front of a paid attendance of 13,853 (more like 8,000) at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Following a timeout, Bobcats point guard, D.J. Augustin dribbled up the court with little resistance, used a Boris Diaw pick to create just enough space for a game-winning 18-foot fadeaway jumper with 1.1 seconds left. Nets lose 105-103. It was their last home game of the season.

That same night, former All-star point guard and current Sacramento mayor, Kevin Johnson attended the  Sacramento Kings' penultimate home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Kings fell to the Thunder 120-112 behind Kevin Durant's 32 points. Days later, Johnson flew to New York City to meet with the NBA Board of Governors with the hopes of keeping the Kings in Sacramento.

The clock is ticking for Kevin Johnson

Tasked with staving off relocation, Johnson worked tirelessly throughout the summer, gathering support and funding for the Kings' 2011-2012 season. He quickly secured $10 million in corporate sponsorship money, financial proof that the Kings still had support from their city. Johnson's efforts paid off as the Maloofs agreed to give the city of Sacramento one more year to come up with a plan for a new arena and entertainment complex. The Maloofs demanded Johnson solidify plans and funding for a new arena in Sacramento or the team moves to another city, presumably Anaheim.

"The mayor of Sacramento has told the NBA relocation committee that he will have a plan for a new arena within a year," Joe Maloof told the Associated Press. "If not, the team will be relocated to another city."


As we approach day 150 of the NBA lockout, Johnson continues to push forward with plans for a new sports and entertainment center in the capital of California. In an issued statement, Johnson reiterated that the arena would be more than just a basketball stadium, but a job-creating entertainment complex.

"While like many others we hope that the NBA and the players are able to come to an agreement, our focus has always been that this facility is more than just a professional basketball arena but rather, similar to what has taken place in Kansas City, an entertainment and sports complex that will generate economic activity and create jobs." via the Sacramento Bee.

Still, a canceled season will kill any momentum gathered by Johnson's best efforts. NBA columnist Scott Howard-Cooper on Grant Napeer's podcast admired the daily pep-rallies by Kings fans as the Maloof's threats to move their team grew louder and louder in the media near the end of last season. 

"The team almost left and the people said wait a minute, we like them again, we want them to stay," Cooper said. "All the rallies around town and all the excitement of the team staying, it energized people in the city."

Johnson hopes to have a architectural and financial plans lined up by January, but the lack of a season will temper the fans' support for the Kings. The timing could not have been worse. NBA greed, fan frustration and America's overall apathy toward the lockout could potentially derail Johnson's efforts.

Brooklyn awaits the Barclays Center

Speaking of apathy, the lockout threatens to prematurely end the Nets "reign" in north Jersey. Somebody should probably inform north Jersey. The Nets are scheduled to move to Brooklyn — with prized point guard Deron Williams leading the charge — and play in the Barclays Center, the centerpiece of the proposed $2.5 billion commercial and residential development project, starting in the 2012-2013 season. But unlike the Kings, who desperately want the lockout to end for the sake of their city, Nets ownership would probably not mind if the lockout lingers just a little bit longer.


According to Forbes.com, the Nets are just one of five NBA teams that would actually lose LESS money by having a locked out season. Couple that with the Nets marketing team already working on creating a new Brooklyn fanbase, ("Jersey Strong, Brooklyn Ready" is their team slogan), and it becomes abundantly clear the team has mentally moved on.


As Mayor Johnson fights for additional funds for a new arena in the midst of a lockout with no end in sight, in city with a 12.4% unemployment rate, the Nets simply sit and back and watch as the NBA calendar to turns. A palace awaiting their arrival.

No Deal

I think Anthony Marrow said it best via his Twitter account: BlackBoiPachino: "We're not gonna be Strong-Armed"

Stern's Full Court Press

Below is a quick video provided by NBA.com that summarizes the NBA's latest CBA proposal. Again, this is provided by the NBA so you are only hearing one side of the story. A few of my posts from earlier this weekend detailed the player's contention with the NBA's latest offer.

If you would like to read the entire proposal, USA Today obtained a copy and can be read here. Also, Stern sent a memo to the players on Sunday, which can be found here.

According to ESPN.com's Ric Bucher, the players are not satisfied with the details of the proposal, including the new unlimited escrow system which I know nothing about, but is explained  in Bucher's column. To understand the many decisions the player's face today check out Larry Coon's breakdown here.

Stern is really pushing the NBA's latest offer, trying to gather support from fans for a resolution via the media i.e. supplying the press with memos, videos and the actual document. Not sure it will work.

NY Times Obtains Copy of NBA's Latest Proposal

The New York Times has obtained a copy of the NBA's latest proposal. According to Howard Beck, most of the details that were rumored to be inside Stern's latest proposal on Friday were either overexaggerated or simply false. In fact, after comparing both proposals, Beck wrote in his Sunday column that the league improved their offer "albeit modestly."

On Friday, sportswriters and columnists sparked rumors of owners expanding their right to send down players and cut their pay. But according to Beck, the D-League is not mentioned in the seven-page proposal.

Public perception is driving Stern

Rumors swirled that "Bird" rights (the team's ability to exceed the salary cap to resign their own players who have been with the team for at least three years) would be threatened, as well as team's ability to use the mid-level exception (MLE). Again, according to Beck, these rumors proved to unfounded. The league actually increased the annual raise for Bird Rights players. The NBA also increased the level of the MLE for luxury tax paying teams — from $2.5 million every other year in an older proposal, to $3 million every year in the league's latest offer. (This is still a cut from last year's $5 million MLE).

Other details in the NBA's latest offer that have emerged via Beck's column:

• The 10-year labor deal could be terminated after the sixth year;
• an elimination of the full MLE and sign and trade deals for luxury tax playing teams
• a raise in team's salary to 90% of team's salary cap by the 2013-2014 season
• a 12% cut in rookie salary and minimum scale contracts

The cut in rookie's salary was new addition to owners proposal. This allows the NBA's so-called "middle-class" to shoulder less of the burden of the many cuts and decreases the owners are offering/demanding. While Beck does state that the large framework of the deal would be a win for the owners, their latest offer is slightly better than the previous one and probably as good as its going to get.

From a PR perspective, what do the owners gain by leaking their latest proposal to the Times and what does it ultimately mean? Were writers simply spouting out false detail after false detail on ESPN and Twitter and the League wanted to get the facts straight? Is the NBA nervous that the players (as rumored) are unlikely to sign the new deal and want to get public perception on their side? I think Stern is profoundly concerned with  public perception. I also fear that this is Stern getting ahead of Monday's story, which could very well be that the players are rejecting the offer and negotiations have collapsed. 

Stay tuned.

Report: Players Unlikely to Accept Deal

The players are unlikely to accept David Stern and the NBA's latest offer, according to ESPN.com's Ric Bucher. According to the report, the players were quite unhappy after diving into the details of the proposal. Among those details that the players were likely to dismiss include: via Bucher

• The D-League Clause - This would give teams more power to send players with five years or less experience down to the D-League with drastically reduced pay.
• Luxury Tax Deals - Teams above the luxury tax would be prohibited from sign and trade deals after two-year phase in period. Non luxury tax teams would also be prohibited from signing a player with the MLE if causes that team to then go over the cap.
• Drug testing - The NBA also proposed offseason drug testing and raising the age limit to 20 years of age.

Financially, the newly proposed and adjusted deal ultimately disappointed the players, according to Bucher. 

We wait and see. Perhaps the players will have a change of heart over the weekend.