Report: Celtics Offered Rondo and Allen to Pistons

by Marcel Mutoni

The first time it was reported that Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen were being shopped by the Boston Celtics this summer, the story was attacked savagely. According to Yahoo! Sports, though, the trade rumor has merit.

The Boston Celtics reportedly had one of their junior execs put in a call to Joe Dumars’s office to see if he would be interested in absorbing the contracts of Rondo and Ray Allen. Dumars did not bite:

The Celtics offered Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to the Detroit Pistons for a package that included Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Boston general manager Danny Ainge and Detroit’s Joe Dumars never spoke, but rather the Celtics had a lower-level executive make the pitch to a Pistons official over the past weekend, league sources said. Detroit immediately rejected the idea, and it never advanced to the two top executives speaking about particulars.

The soon-to-be 34 Allen is owed $20 mil on his expiring contract next season, making him an attractive piece of trade bait.

Despite Rondo’s stellar play in the ’09 Playoffs, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Boston front office isn’t too excited about signing him to a fat, long-term deal.