Le Basketbawl

The Boston Celtics and their starting point guard Rajon Rondo have some heavy thinking to do before the Monday deadline to give him a contract extension. The Celtics want Rondo to remain on the team and Rajon wants to stay in Boston. However that is not a guarantee that the two sides will come to an agreement before the Monday deadline. The Celtics have offered Rondo a reported 5 year deal said to be worth $45 million over the length of the deal. It has been reported that the point guard and his agent Bill Duffy are looking for a deal worth $55-60 million for a five year hitch.

If Rondo can get that kind of jack he would be among the top five highest point guards in the NBA. Rajon Rondo is a really good point guard but is he among the five best in the NBA? That is one of the questions that Director Of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge and the Celtics Team Owners have to figure out before the deadline.

The positive in the Celtics favor is that Rondo will become a “Restricted Free Agent” after this season. That means that Boston will be able to match any offer sheet that Rondo signs with another team. However if Rondo does test Free Agency next summer would he be offered more or less than the money he and his agent are asking for right now?

The “Providence Journal” spoke with Ainge about the situation regarding Rondo. The former Celtics guard said “It’s a difficult situation because is he risking a bigger contract for next year? Are we risking paying him more than having to match a contract next year? Ultimately he wants to be here. We want him here so it’s kind of trying to figure out the future and what’s sort of money is out there. There is a lot of money out there in the free agent market next year. There are a lot of teams with cap space. There are a lot of teams that like Rondo as I found out this year with all of the draft rumors…Potentially he could make more money than he’s even asking. Potentially he could make less. It’s all about finances and trying to predict the future.”

Okay the Boston Celtics can not afford to lose Rajon Rondo; he is far too valuable to his team. As good as he was in the year that Boston beat the Lakers for the NBA Title; he was even better last season. He is young and talented and  core member of the club. However New York Vinnie does not believe the two sides will reach a deal before the deadline Monday. New York Vinnie believes the Celtics are willing to roll the dice that he is not offered more money than he is asking for. And for the Celtics that just might not be a bad idea.

 There is a very good possibility that the NBA will lower the salary cap next year for the second year in a row. There are teams with money to spend under the cap but as of right now there are going to be a lot of very big names next summer who will become Free Agents. Considering those two factors what is the likelihood of Rondo being able to get another team give him the kind of money he is asking for right now? In New York Vinnie’s mind the odds are against it.

So If New York Vinnie were running the Boston Celtics right now I would not go to the money that Rondo and his agent are asking for. The Celtics are not dopes they will re-sign Rondo once he gets an offer sheet and New York Vinnie believes that by holding from signing him now that Boston will save itself some money in the end.