Boston Celtics using Rajon Rondo as ‘training wheels’ for Marcus Smart?

Now that the Boston Celtics have drafted former Oklahoma State Cowboys’ point guard Marcus Smart, it “seems inevitable” they will trade Rajon Rondo.

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However, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Celtics are interested in letting Smart take his time developing and could use Rondo as “training wheels” for Smart.

"But given how the Collective Barging Agreement works on extensions, Rondo is financially motivated to hit free agency in July. The Celtics need to work through the risks of letting that happen versus trading Rondo at some point before the trade deadline.The Celtics also seem to be interested in letting Marcus Smart come along a little slowly, and that Rondo in a worst-case scenario is training wheels for Smart, and is ultimately traded later in the season when Boston might be able to extract more from a team that needs Rondo for a postseason run."

Rondo averaged 11.7 points, 9.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 40.3% from the field, 28.9% from beyond the arc and 62.7% from the free throw line last season. He played in 30 games. Rondo has put up 11.1 points, 8.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 47.5% from the floor, 25.2% from three and 62.1% from the free throw line in his eight-year pro career. Smart was ranked as the sixth-best prospect in the draft by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. He averaged 18.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game last season and shot 42.2% from the field, 29.9% from beyond the arc and 72.8% from the charity stripe. Smart measured in at 6’3.25 and 227 lbs. with a wingspan of 6’9.25 at the NBA’s Scouting Combine.

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