Random Thoughts on the Latest Celtics News and Rumors

Today, Rondo is front and center in the news. It started innocently enough with some tweets between CelticBlog's Jeff Clark and ESPN's Jeff Goodman. Here's how the conversation went:

CelticsBlog: I'm the anti- @GoodmanESPN - I'm irrationally against just about any Rondo trade LOL

Goodman: You must really enjoy the draft lottery.

CelticsBlog: because trading our best player gets us out of the lottery?

Goodman: Nope. It may help attract free agents, though.

CelticsBlog: I've never seen anything to indicate that players (not named Ray Allen) wouldn't want to play with Rondo? Where's that from?

Goodman: From me talking to numerous players around the league.

That started a whole conversation and spawned several articles on blogs and other sites about whether Rondo is a reason for the Celtics inability to land a big free agent. Then Gary Tanguay weighed in on the argument as only he could.
I have to say that Tanguay really went too far this time. He slams Red's Army and fan blogs like CelticsBlog and says that they pretend to be media but they aren't. CelticsBlog and Red's Army are often more professional than many of the so called main stream media sites. The NBA has bestowed media status on blogs by granting them credentials and so no matter what Tanguay says, blogs are media. Personally, I'm not a writer and would never claim to be a member of the media. I'm a fan. I write as a fan. But CelticsBlog and Red's Army are definitely media and should be considered as such. And, Red's Army returned Tanguay's volley with an article that shot down his ridiculous claims.

Remember that over the past few seasons, Tanguay was CSNNE's beat reporter for the Celtics. He was on the pre and post game shows and was the one to cover them on their Sportsnet Central. This season they shifted him away from the Celtics coverage. Now I wonder whether they changed his duties because of his dislike of the Celtics or maybe he dislikes the Celtics because he was demoted. Either way, I have to say that I'd much rather get my Celtics coverage from the blogs I read and link to daily than from him any day.

I give Red's Army a standing ovation for their reply to Tanguay's rant. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce love Rondo and have stated that in the past and continue to state it. Most of his teammates have voiced the same opinion. Ray Allen is the exception and after the way he defected from the Celtics to the Heat, I really don't put much stock in what he says. I think Ray Allen's feelings were hurt when Rondo wanted Avery Bradley starting instead of Ray after Allen's ankle injury had sidelined him. It hurt his pride and, even though Rondo was right and Avery was playing better, Ray held a grudge against Rondo. But, that's just my opinion as a fan. I don't claim any inside sources or anything in case Mr Tanguay want's to take exception with what I have to say.

Along with the Rondo controversy, Kevin Love was back in the news. The Cavaliers have said several times that they didn't want to trade Andrew Wiggins and that Wiggins would not be included in any trade offer for Kevin Love. Enter LeBron "Mr Tampering" James. LeBron reportedly reached out to Kevin Love to let him know he wants to play with him in Cleveland. Now, I may be wrong on this, but Kevin Love isn't a free agent. He won't be a free agent until next season. So, LeBron reaching out to him should be tampering. From the NBA Salary Cap FAQ:

Tampering is when a player or team directly or indirectly entices, induces or persuades anybody (player, general manager, etc.) who is under contract with another team in order to negotiate for their services. The NBA may impose suspensions and/or fines up to $50,000 if tampering is discovered, however the league's practice has been to wait until a team lodges a complaint before investigating (but that's not to say they don't continue to monitor the league and won't take action independently if they discover that tampering has occurred).

You may have noticed that when general managers and other team personnel talk to the press, they are careful to avoid talking about specific players who play for other teams. They do this in order to avoid tampering. The only allowed response when talking about players under contract with other teams is to decline comment.

Now, suddenly, after saying all along that Andrew Wiggins wouldn't be offered in any trade, the Cavs are suddenly doing an about face and offering Andrew Wiggins in a trade offer for Kevin Love. The Heat got away with tampering in LeBron's last move. I'd say it's time for Adam Silver to step in and for "Basketball Reasons" disallow any trade of Kevin Love to the Cavaliers and to fine LeBron for the obvious tampering that he is involved in.

Personally, if I was the GM of the Cavs, I wouldn't give away a player with the potential to be a franchise player for LeBron James. He jilted the team once. He is now signed for just one year. I know they say that it's a two year contract, but he has an opt out clause after this year. If they don't gel and don't win a championship this year, he could very well be gone to the Clippers or anywhere else next season and that would leave the Cavs (not to mention Kevin Love) more than likely in the lottery again.

And let me put my tin hat on for a few minutes. The assault on Rondo's character and attitude comes at a very strange time. Kevin Love takes a trip to Boston and has a chance encounter with Rajon Rondo at Fenway Park and made a comment about how playing with Rondo was intriguing. Boston has been reported to be one of the teams in the mix for Kevin Love. Now, suddenly the Pampered One in Cleveland has said that he wants Kevin Love and is openly tampering to try to get him. And what happens? There are attacks on Rondo's character and attitude by Goodman and Tanguay. Coincidence? Maybe.

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