General Manager of the NBA club simply says “they tried”.
Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has given an interesting insight into the dealings behind the scenes for the services of star Rajon Rondo.
Rondo’s name is at the top of the list for many teams looking to acquire the services of an All-Star point guard, while it is no secret Ainge and the Celtics are aggressively trying to rebuild the side.
When Ainge traded Jordan Crawford and former Net MarShon Brooks to Golden State recently in a three-way deal with the Heat, the Celtics picked up another two draft picks.
Between Ainge’s deals with the Nets and Clippers and other moves, the Celtics now have 17 potential draft picks over the next five seasons.
But speaking on a weekly segment with a Boston radio station, Ainge said they had already tried reaching out to Rondo for a contract extension but said they were limited by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
“We did talk to Rondo about extending him,” Ainge said,
“But that’s all part of the negotiation that will happen again this summer and most likely the summer after.
“In the collective bargaining agreement, there are limits on what can and can’t be done. Really, it’s not that Rondo doesn’t want to accept an extension, as much as it’s just not financially smart for him to accept it right now. We didn’t think he would [sign], but we did try.”
When asked what the terms of the possible deal were with Rondo, Ainge backed away from his comments, saying he did not want to discuss the specifics of supposed deals in a public forum.
“I think we’ve said enough,” he said.
“I think that Rondo will demand quite a bit in the open market,” Ainge said. “The competition for Rondo in free agency will be very high.”
Next season will be Rondo’s last from his five-year, $55 million extension that he signed in October of 2009.
The new CBA limits the length and value of a possible extension at the moment, though the two sides could re-explore that option this summer. However, Rondo’s most lucrative offer would come after the 2014-15 season, when he’d hit the open market.
Last week, Rondo returned from a near one-year absence after tearing his ACL. He appeared in three games before sitting out Wednesday’s win in Washington as a precaution as he eases his way back.
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