NBA Trade Rumors: Ray Allen Could be Dealt; Rondo Off the Market

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rando has been heavily mentioned as a potential player that could be traded before the NBA trade deadline, but his triple double against the Knicks on Sunday should end the majority of that talk.

ESPN reported last week that the Celtics were aggressively shopping their All-Star guard, but his recent performance and comments by Celtics management seems to say otherwise. ESPN said that the Celtics had tired of Rondo's poor relationship with coach Doc Rivers, but Rivers had nothing but positive things to say about him recently.

In all that time we did not talk once about any trades, Rivers said of a recent hour and a half long meeting with Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. There was not one single thing about Rajon Rondo that crossed my desk.

Danny Ainge, the Celtics president of basketball operations, also expressed confidence in Rondo last week.

I'm very confident that Rondo knows what I think of him, what I feel about him as a player and how important he is to our team, Ainge told Boston sports radio station WEEI. I feel like Rondo is making incredible strides as a player, as a leader, as a teammate, and as a player in every way - offense and defense.

With Rondo seemingly off the market, the Celtic player that will likely generate the most interest is shooting guard Ray Allen. The 36-year-old is one of the NBA's best shooters and would provide a great boost to any playoff contender looking for that final piece to the puzzle, but Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick reported over the weekend that the asking price for Allen might be too high for most teams.

Amick reported that the Celtics are looking for a young talent and a draft pick in return for Allen, which could eliminate many of the potential trading partners. The Clippers are believed to be in the market for a shooter after Chauncey Billups went down with a season-ending injury, but they might not have the pieces to appease the Celtics.

A lot of whether the Celtics decide to trade Allen could depend on where they stand on March 15th - the NBA's trade deadline. The Celtics slumped into the All-Star break, but have ripped off four straight wins, including an impressive overtime victory over the Knicks on Sunday. If the Celtics continue their impressive play they might be unwilling to give up any integral players.