Boston Celtics star Rajon Rondo broke his hand last week and is expected to miss between six and eight weeks. How will being sidelined for at least a month affect Rondo's trade value?
Rondo broke his left finger - he said it was a slip in the shower, a picture of him at a trampoline park has some suggesting otherwise - on Thursday and underwent surgery the next day. Boston's official timetable for his return is between six and eight weeks, which translates to him missing anywhere from three to 12 games.
Despite Celtics president Danny Ainge saying a trade wouldn't happen and that Rondo planned to re-sign with the team in the summer, many - including this writer - believe a trade is imminent. The prevailing thought, prior to Rondo's injury, was Ainge would play him for the first few months, let the All-Star prove to teams he's fully recovered from his ACL injury and then deal him before the February deadline.
The new injury doesn't really put a damper on that purported plan. Rondo will miss training camp and preseason, meaning the first month or so back will be Rondo knocking off the rust from the offseason. Rondo's body of work - four All-Star invites, career averages of 9.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds - makes the missed time a moot point, but it could have teams seeking a discount on him.
It doesn't help that Rondo reportedly is unwilling to commit to a team if he's traded, which would make most teams wary about mortgaging their future on a player who could walk as an unrestricted free agent in July.
Rondo is going to test free agency because of the financial incentive. Even if he were 100 percent sure he wanted to remain in Boston, he can make the most money by re-signing with the team as a free agent. When he becomes a free agent, he'll likely take the Carmelo Anthony route and explore what options are out there for him.
The New York Knicks, the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers are among the big-name teams expected to chase after him in July. If Ainge has any doubt about his chances of re-signing Rondo, he's going to push for a trade in February - especially with rookie point guard Marcus Smart waiting in the wings.
