The Celtics plummeted down the standings last season, their first chapter in a rebuild after parting with Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. Boston netted two first round picks from those efforts, selecting Marcus Smart and James Young. Here’s the latest on where the franchise stands:
- GM Danny Ainge will entertain offers for Rajon Rondo this summer, but that doesn’t mean the point guard will be traded, sources tell Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Bulpett’s sources say that the market for Rondo is not very high, and that Boston would rather let him walk as a free agent than take salary back in an underwhelming package.
- For now, Boston does hope that pairing Rondo with Smart will work despite their positional overlap, and the Celtics ideal scenario is to improve around Rondo rather than plan for his exit, per Bulpett.
- While the Celtics have failed to land Kevin Love or swing any kind of blockbuster to accelerate their rebuilding process, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com thinks the franchise is still on pace to become a long-term contender as soon as next summer.