It seems that almost every star player in the NBA has been linked to rumors over the last few seasons with many of them in connection with the Los Angeles Lakers. Recently rumors have surfaced that Rajon Rondo wants out of Boston and his frustration is understandable. Historically the Celtics have been one of the best franchises in the NBA but over the last few years they have plummeted down to the bottom of the standings. Ray Allen is gone, Kevin Garnett is gone, and even Paul Pierce is gone.

So, where does that leave Rondo? Why would Rondo want to stay in a rebuilding situation during the prime of his career while he watches other players team up and try to win championships? He knows what championships are about.

Rajon Rondo should trade in his green and white jersey for a purple and gold one. By Rondo_Dunks.jpg: Eric Kilby derivative work: El cestofilo, via Wikimedia Commons

Historically, the Lakers and Celtics would never make a deal sending a star player to one another but they should make an exception for this. Rondo only has one year left on his contract so he is probably leaving anyway and the Celtics could get something back for him at least. On the Laker side of things, they get a star point guard to team with Kobe plus his one-year contract doesn’t affect their cap flexibility plans for future free agencies. Here is the trade I am suggesting for this trade to happen:

Celtics acquire: Steve Nash, Jordan Hill and the first round pick from the Rockets in the Jeremy Lin deal

Lakers acquire: Rajon Rondo, Brandon Bass

Ed. note – You can go to ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine to see if a trade works under the collective bargaining agreement. Hill is not eligible to be traded right now due to just being signed (I think), but you could substitute Jeremy Lin for Hill. Also, not sure how to include draft picks on the trade machine The Lakers wouldn’t need Lin anyway if they got Rondo, amiright?

The Celtics acquire a $9.7 million expiring contract in Steve Nash which will come off the books at the end of the season, get an upgrade from Bass in Jordan Hill, and another first round pick which the Celtics seem to be loading up on.

The Lakers get an athletic point guard which they have longed for and a big man who is a bit undersized, but can post up and shoot from mid range a little.

Both the Lakers and Celtics should think about doing a deal of some sort because in the long run, trading Rondo for the Celtics and the Lakers acquiring him will help both franchises get back to where they belong, competing for an NBA title against each other.

A deal involving Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Perkins for Rondo and Jeff Green was ultimately declined by OKC’s front office.

Though Westbrook is a young point guard with tremendous upside, his erratic shot selection in last year’s playoffs proved his unwillingness to play in Scott Brook’s system.

While he huffed and puffed on the sidelines, further icing out teammates, team chemistry was shot. The result was a five-game ousting in the Western Conference Finals.

Not only does his personality clash with franchise face and superstar Kevin Durant, but Westbrook’s disregard for professionalism at league negotiations was paralyzing. His red sweatshirt attire was a childish miscalculation that ultimately defined the direction the young star is choosing to take.

Call it an act of youth or a competitor’s fire, I’ll call it a bad case of the me-first-gimme-gimmes and something that ultimately will result in the disbanding of a young core in OKC.

This was a prime opportunity for Thunder management to land a 25-year-old champion point guard with a pedigree for greatness. Rondo’s league-leading 11.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game were a perfect fit in Brook’s defensive-minded system.

The move would maximize team chemistry by adding a real point guard. It allows Durant to be the tell-all go-to guy late in games and balances the floor with a fluid mix of personalities.

Re-inserting Jeff Green counters loss in offensive production without Westbrook, while further balancing the team with an unselfish approach on offense.

This misstep will be a point of memory in the coming years. If Westbrook cannot correct his indifference with team play, Thunder management will look back on this trade and lament.

As for Rondo, his luck of the Irish is officially dead.

Durant has been brilliant, averaging 32.0 points in the series on 68.5% shooting. Last night the oft’ quiet star, played with an abandon necessary to drive his team to victory. A dunk late in the first quarter with his team down nine, swung the momentum back in the Thunder’s favor.

Durant’s teammates have been the same. Last night Jeff Harden continued his maturation into  the Thunder’s third option offensively,contributing 23 points and is now averaging 17.5 points per game in the series, 13.2 in the postseason.  Eric Maynor chipped in 13,  and the bench as a whole scored 50.

But where was Russel Westbrook?

The intangibles rest in Westbrook’s physique and explosive speed. The twenty two year old former UCLA Bruin, has garnered praise all year for his quick maturation into a perennial point guard. His feisty fear-none mentality, and lengthy 6’5 size, have placed his name among the elite point guards with Derick Rose, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, and Steve Nash.

So where was he?

Benched late in the third quarter after another ridiculous turnover, Westbrook blabbed the rest of the game while his Thunder went +7 without him. His backup Eric Maynor, a four year starter at Virginia Commonwealth, played poised and far beyond Westbrook’s years: swinging the ball, running Scott Brooks half-court set schemes, and solid defense.

Maynor did what he had to do to win a ballgame. Things are not pretty in the postseason with the slowness of half-court basketball and the physicality of the defensive sets. It seems Westbrook has not figured this out yet. As great as he has been all season and as explosive here in the postseason (23.6 pts, 6.7 ast, 5.4 reb), the natural shoot first–pass second two guard, is better fit as a scorer for now.

Maynor clearly benefited from four years of college basketball, including three straight years in the March tournament. The twentieth pick in the 2008 draft, Maynor has a comfortability at the point guard position–something Westbrook, a one and done collegiate athlete is lacking.

In a closeout game against Denver in the first round, Westbrook shot 30 times to Durant’s 18 and the Thunder lost. Game four of a three overtime round two loss to the Grizzlies, Westbrook shot 33 times to Durant’s 20, and in a game six collapse, Westbrook took 22 to Durant’s 14.

The pattern is simple, get Durant the ball. Westbrook is better fit as the Robin to Durant’s Batman, but is aloof to this reality. It will be a interesting postseason for both OKC and Westbrook to see how their relationship either builds or begins to fragment.

And if fragmented, there is always Chris Paul (hmmmmm….).