The Boston Celtics don’t plan on trading Rajon Rondo

On Wednesday night, big man Kevin Garnett and swingman Paul Pierce (and point guard Jason Terry, too) will make their return to Boston when the Celtics host the Brooklyn Nets in a preseason game.

The only key piece of the Boston run, which resulted in two finals appearances and one NBA title, that remains is point guard Rajon Rondo.

Earlier this week, Rondo made it clear he does not want to be traded.

“Why would I want out? This is a brand new start for us as a team,” Rondo told Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. “I love it here, the fans are great here, Danny [Ainge] has been straight with me, so why would I want to leave?”

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge claims he wants Rondo to remain with the team as well.

“He’s our best player,”  Ainge told Ken Berger of CBS Sports. “And he’s been our best player for the last year or two. I know that he’ll come back — he’s working extremely hard — and we’ve got to be patient with that [knee injury], too, and make sure we’re not rushing him back. He’s too important to us.”

Rondo, who is recovering from a knee injury, is still just 27-years old. He averaged 13.7 points, 11.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game in 38 games last season.