Instant Replay: Trade speculation looms with Rajon Rondo out for the season

By the time Rajon Rondo steps back onto the court in time for the 2013-2014 season, the Big Three may be a distant memory. Rondo’s torn ACL on his right knee serves as a huge setback for the Boston Celtics, who were banking on their mercurial point guard to orchestrate another Finals run, a last gasp for a team of aging stars out to prove that they are not yet washed up. The injury took place in their game against the Atlanta Hawks with over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, after Rondo gingerly landed on a lay-up attempt. He labored through regulation and two more overtime periods, visibly dragging his right leg and cautiously jogging on both ends of the court. The Hawks went on to win after trailing by as many as 27 points, 123-111. [Related: Celtics beat Heat but lose Rondo for season] The injury was initially diagnosed as a hyperextended right knee but that escalated into an ACL tear midway through the Celtics’ 100-98 double-overtime tiff against the Miami Heat. When ESPN’s Doris Burke broke the news of Rondo’s condition to Paul Pierce during his post-game interview, Pierce was deflated. “We just got to rally around each other. Guys got to be ready to step up,” he said. With and without Rondo so far, the Celtics have been disappointing, unable to clear the .500 mark at 21-23, and nowhere near the team that fell a game short of a third Finals appearance in five seasons. Beantown's own have a precarious hold on the eighth spot with the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons nipping on their heels, and unless the Celtics make radical moves, they could be on the outside looking in on the postseason for the first time since the current incarnation of the team was put together in 2007. This situation has catalyzed rumors that it is time to blow up the Big Three and accept that their championship window has finally shut. Regardless of what general manager Danny Ainge and head coach Doc Rivers have said about the roster staying as it is, there could be a deal that comes into fruition before the February 21 trade deadline. All eyes and ears will now be on Ainge and how he responds to the incoming phone calls inquiring about Pierce and Kevin Garnett’s availability. Although both are tempting win-now additions for championship contenders, these two will be very difficult to pry away from Boston. Pierce has a sentimental chokehold on every Celtics fan, having played 15 turbulent seasons and sticking with the team through the doldrum days of mediocrity. On the other hand, unloading Garnett will be much tougher from a bargaining perspective due to the no-trade clause stipulated in his contract. That means Garnett can veto any deal the Celtics propose to another team, if Garnett sees it to be detrimental to the direction of his career, such as going to a cellar-dwelling squad. Prior to Rondo’s downfall, the rumored plan was to acquire the Orlando Magic’s resident sniper J.J. Redick with the hopes of stretching the floor and improving the league’s fourth-worst three-point shooting percentage, but with recent developments, such a trade has gone out the window. For now, Boston will need their remaining point guards, Avery Bradley, Jason Terry, and Leandro Barbosa to fill in the void left by Rondo. Rondo had been projected to produce superstar numbers after a brilliant playoff run in 2012. Instead, he has played at par to his previous seasons, having not picked up the scoring slack that many expected him to. That said, the Celtics will not only miss Rondo’s ball-handling and dribble-drive action, but also his rebounding absence. The Celtics are currently 29th in the league in total rebounds, and that number will surely go down without one of the best rebounding guards in action. His production of 13.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 11.1 assists this season still pegs Rondo as a great player, but many are waiting for him to take the leap to alpha dog status that may only happen upon Pierce and Garnett’s departure. Looking into the future, should one or both of those players get traded away, Rondo will need to command the floor with his court vision and ability to pile up triple-doubles. Over the past two regular season and playoffs, he has done it 15 times; no other player in the league has reached four. More importantly, Rondo is a tough cookie to crack. Who can forget Rondo’s spectacular dive and lay-up over Jason Williams and the Orlando Magic in 2009? Or his one-armed exploits against the Heat in 2011? The guy is a proven winner and he will thrive in the leader role as the Celtics transition from grizzled veterans to young upstarts, whenever it is that happens. Odds are, the Celtics will not be booking a return to the Finals later this season, though with a team stocked led by two prideful veterans, when they will exit the playoffs, is still up in the air. Perhaps the only sure thing now for the Celtics is that Rondo will return in 2013-14. With that fact locked in, the big question in Boston fans' minds now is whether or not Garnett and Pierce will still be around to welcome him when he comes back. - AMD, GMA News Favian Pua currently works as a sports analyst for Kambi Philippines. He also maintains a sports blog, All-Time Fave. You can e-mail him at favianpua@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter.