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.

…the idea that he would demand a trade at this point is a bit of a head-scratcher. Why now, on the eve of training camp, rather than at the start of the summer, when teams had money to spend and would have been more eager to get something done?

Multiple league sources have repeatedly said that Rondo wants to start the season in Boston and see where things go from there. A similar sentiment has trickled out of Celtics camp, as well.

Rondo is hopeful that the team Danny Ainge is assembling around him is better than most anticipate, that they can be this season’s feel-good story not only in the East but throughout the NBA.

CSNNE:  This isn’t the time for Rondo to demand a trade from Celtics

“It doesn’t matter if he wants to be traded,” said Ryan. “They’re not trading him. He’s not tradable right now.  Nobody’s seen him play and that’s that.  If he is traded, it will be at the trading deadline.”

“You can’t trade him until somebody has looked at him and see what you’re getting. Because it certainly was inconclusive based on what we saw at the end of last year.”

CSNNE:  Ryan: Rondo is “not tradeable right now”

Set aside Tanguay’s trolling by calling this a “fait accompli” that neither side would want each other… Bob Ryan is right about one thing, there’s no way Rondo can be traded now without the Celtics getting completely fleeced in the deal.

If we’re being completely honest here, it’s in the best interests of both sides to keep their options open.

From Rondo’s perspective… 

No one can pretend to know what he’s thinking unless you’re part of his super-tight inner circle… and even they might now know.  Even if we take the most positive scenario here and assume that he’s so in love with Boston that he can’t imagine life anywhere else, he still needs to keep his options open with free agency.

As I’ve said many times, a basketball player’s career is comparatively short compared to his overall lifespan.  That means he’s got a short amount of time to make a lot of money.  If Rondo’s perception of his worth doesn’t match the Celtics’ perception, then he owes it to himself to check with other teams to see if he’s wrong, or if the Celtics are.

So let’s say he wants max money and the Celtics offer him, say, $5 million less than that per year.  It’s in his best interests to see if the Celtics are low-balling him, or if that’s indeed his fair market value by exploring what other teams are willing to pay him.  From there, he can make his own decision about quality of life, desire to switch cities, and all the other non-financial stuff that goes into a decision like this.

The bottom line here is, even in the best-case scenario, Rondo, and all players, should probably get the full picture before making an informed decision.

Hey, I’m happy where I work, but if there’s a transition going on and I don’t like some of the things I’m seeing, I’m not going to put blinders on and ignore it.  If I have an opportunity to better my situation, I’m at least going to consider it.  This applies to any work situation, even to the one involving the job of Celtics point guard.

From the Celtics perspective…

I don’t know if Danny Ainge drafted Marcus Smart specifically to replace Rondo, as insurance in case Rondo or Avery Bradley left, or if it was completely independent of the current roster’s makeup and was simply a “best player available” pick.  Regardless, the Celtics now have themselves a little logjam, so they can take a little time to see how this plays out.

There’s no rush to move Rondo now, especially with the knowledge that no team will give anywhere near fair value.  They need to evaluate no only whether Rondo is healthy, but whether Rondo indeed fits into their vision of the future and with his current teammates.

Just look at the New England Patriots and how callous they are when it comes to their players.  It doesn’t matter how good you are or how much you’ve helped in the past, the second your contract doesn’t match your value in their eyes, you’re gone.  Teams have to be that way because as much as players have to think of themselves as real people working real jobs, teams have to view these guys as robots and lines in the ledger.  Emotion can’t trump reason when you’re a GM.

So the team has to sit back and see.  Rondo’s the only trade chip that has any value, and, at the very least, the Celtics have the ability to offer teams a 5-year contract for Rondo in a sign-and-trade.  All it takes is for Rondo to demand 5-years from a team and the leverage swings back in the C’s favor if it got to that point.

Either way, both sides have reason to play nice and play this season out.  A lot can happen between now and February, so there is little need to rush into anything on either side, regardless of whether Rondo is buying up property to build a mansion in the Boston suburbs to live here for ever, or if he’s got one foot out the door.  This is one big waiting game.

Related links:  WEEI:  Rondo rumor mill keeps churning  |  MassLive:  What if Rondo really wants out?

Page 2:  Moser passes on C’s to play in Lithuania

BOSTON — Mike Moser is no stranger to a change in plans at the last minute.

But when it has happened, things have had a way of working out for the former All-America who was a standout performer for the Boston Celtics summer league team in July.

That appears to be the case once again as the 6-foot-8 forward has had a change of heart in participating in NBA training camps to instead play for Rytas in Lithuania which is based on Vilnius, Lithuania and plays in EuroCup – the second best league in Europe.

CSNNE

Be honest, you forgot he was even on the summer league team, didn’t you?

Good luck, Mike.  Chances are he’s making more money to go play overseas than he would trying to make it in the NBA.

I always think guys in this situation should send a thank you card to the Dream Team for spreading basketball around the world like they did in 1992.  It didn’t just give European guys an opportunity to be recognized and make it to the NBA, it gave rise to all these leagues with money to pay fringe players to play professionally somewhere.

Just think about how many talented guys never lived out their dreams of getting paid to play basketball 20 years ago.  Then you look at a guy like Dionte Christmas who struggled, and went overseas a bunch, honed his game, got better, busted his ass, and is now enjoying some extended NBA run.

These opportunities didn’t exist that long ago.  So I wish all these guys well as they grind and hustle and try to take a long, strange path to the NBA through Europe or Asia.

And Finally….

Charlie Rose did a basketball compilation show featuring Bill Russell, Charles Barkley, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Magic Johnson, Chris Paul, and Steve Nash.  Bill Russell takes the first six minutes or so if you don’t care to watch the whole thing.