Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

If there was one positive from the dual Rajon Rondo-Danny Ainge address Monday at Celtics media day, it was Ainge freely acknowledging Rondo’s market value when free agency begins next July.

If there was any question about whether Rondo is a maximum salary player, Ainge answered it convincingly; he realizes re-signing the four-time All-Star point guard will require an estimated $107 million over five years.
[…] Ainge understands.

“I think a four-time All-Star by the time he’s 27 years old would qualify for max based on what we’ve seen in the marketplace,” Ainge said. “If I were Rajon and I were Rajon’s agent [Bill Duffy], I would definitely say that. But since I’m negotiating against him, I’ll withhold.”

Globe: Danny Ainge, Rajon Rondo appear to be on the same page

Gary Washburn, and everyone else lately, bring up the Eric Bledsoe deal, which is for five years at $70 million, or an average of $14 million a year. Like it or not, the marketplace has an affect on these negotiations.

If Bledsoe can command $14 million per year, how much more is a four-time All Star, and an NBA champion, who has a history of taking over not just playoff games, but entire series? And while you can make the classic argument “you get paid for what you’re about to do, not what you’ve done,” we all know that what you’ve done is a major factor in these things.

All Rondo has to do is go out this season and be “Rondo”… the guy who sets his team up to score, attacks the basket, and forces defenses to adjust to him.

Rondo has deficiencies in his game. He’s not the defender he used to be, but how many true two-way elite players are there anymore? Rondo the tenacious defender has given way to Rondo the gambler as his role in the offense increased. Still, it’s a drawback, as is his free throw shooting. Are those enough to bring his contract back down a few pegs? Maybe. You can question his attitude if you want, but it seems that Rondo’s appearance before the media yesterday to address rumors about his broken hand is starting to make some believe that he’s continuing to mature.

As we watched and heard him douse a dubious fire, we were left to wonder if we were actually seeing a different Rondo or just a better view of the largely hidden side. This was, after all, the same guy who helped turn the petty crime of not being at a game he wasn’t going to be allowed to play in anyway into a weeks-long sports radio topic by being petulant after his first game back in Boston.

And let’s be clear: This never has been about Rondo versus the media. No one really cares how he deals with us, nor should they. Rather the issue is whether, as a leader, he understands the value of maintaining a stable environment for his teammates. Having once watched Magic Johnson essentially win the 1985 NBA Finals by taking the pressure off the rest of the Lakers in the moments after getting blown out by the Celtics in Game 1 on Memorial Day, the importance of such public relations is clear.

“No question,” C’s president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. “I think it’s all part of leadership and growing up. I think the great leaders take responsibility when things aren’t going well and sort of take the heat off the other teammates. And I think Rajon is at the stage of his career where we need him to be that guy. Like Magic and like Larry (Bird) did. Like LeBron (James) does.”

I DO think this is about Rondo and the media to some degree. There’s no doubting that the Goodmans and Felgers of the world have personal vendettas against the guy, but the overall point is taken into consideration. Rondo as the captain has to think about more than himself in these situations. That’s part of growing up and assuming bigger roles. That’s part of what he has to prove this year.

Ainge seems to make it pretty clear that Rondo’s got a max, or near-max contract waiting at the end of the road. Maybe Rondo will take the “home town discount” and not take the absolute max (“oh, ok fine, I’ll just do five years, $100 million. You put that other $7 mil to good use, Danny), but it’s pretty clear that the team is prepared to make Rondo one of its centerpieces. All he needs to do is go out this year and confirm to the team that he deserves it.

Page 2: Filling in for Rondo will be a group effort

“Marcus being a rookie, it’s very important that he doesn’t feel like he has to fill Rondo’s shoes,” said Danny Ainge, Boston’s president of basketball operations. “We’ll do that as a team and do that collectively. Evan (Turner) will play some point guard. Phil (Pressey) can play. And we expect Marcus to play both the one (point guard) and two (shooting guard).”

And while Smart knows the window of opportunity is now wider with Rondo’s injury, his approach to playing time remains the same.

“Just as if he was (healthy enough to play), I still have to earn my stripes,” Smart said. “So regardless if he’s here or not, I’m still going to work hard and earn the respect of these guys.”

CSNNE: Smart: “I still have to earn my stripes”

The silver lining to Rondo’s injury is the Celtics have an opportunity to experiment a little in camp and early in the season with a few different line ups. They know what Pressey can do at the point, and they may lean on him to start, but they also want to see what Marcus Smart looks like against NBA competition, and what Evan Turner can do in his new role.

Smart has already displayed an impressive ability to handle the next level with his time on the USA Select team. But even that’s a tough gauge because scrimmage situations are not the same as NBA game situations. The crowd, the intensity, the nerves, the refs… and not to mention teammates that aren’t going to be quite as good as some of the other Select team members… will all play a role in his performance. He’ll be learning and executing a new system, so he’ll have some down moments.

Turner will be an interesting case because the consensus is that he’s better with the ball in his hands, as opposed to playing off the ball. The opportunity to do that, at least at the start of the season, could change a lot about how he’s perceived. In a way, Rondo’s hand injury could re-shape Turner’s career.

Yeah, I admit that’s a bit of a stretch, but if Rondo was healthy to start and Turner didn’t get the reps at point, he might not have the same opportunity to show how he should be used. If he takes this chance to re-invent himself a little, then he can provide some serious value to the Celtics either on the court or in a trade.

Eventually, one of these guys is going to get DNP’s. You simply can’t play Rondo, Bradley, Smart, Pressey, and Turner every game. We know where Rondo stands in this mix, so by announcing the group effort to fill his shoes, the Celtics are basically opening up the Backcourt Hunger Games to figure out who’ll emerge as a rotation player, and who’ll be finished.

And Finally….

Jay posted this picture…

…and it’s since been memed like crazy.

So feel free to take it, meme it yourself, and post it on our Facebook page. If there’s a really hilarious one, I’ll steal a piece of Celtics memorabilia from Chuck’s house and send it to you.

The rest of the links:

Globe: Celtics Rookie Smart hard past drives future | ESPN Boston: Headlines from Media Day | CSNNE: Sights & sounds from media day | Faverani says “no truth” to arrest reports | WEEI: Sullinger, Turner finally get to team up in Boston | MassLive: Olynyk: “I definitely got stronger in the offseason” | Young to D-League? Young says no | Sullinger says 2013-14 was a nightmare, dislocated finger affected shooting

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Your Morning Dump… Where Ainge basically admitted Rondo’s getting a max contract

Alan Draper

Page 2: Filling in for Rondo will be a group effort

And Finally….

Alan Draper

Alan Draper