The Rajon Rondo trade is the gift that keeps giving for the Celtics

Danny Ainge’s overhaul of the Celtics roster since the trade of Rajon Rondo in December 2014 is nearly complete. Just over three years later, only one Celtic player (Marcus Smart) is left from that squad, the early days of an expedited rebuild in Boston.

While the haul for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will always be the deal that kickstarted one of the most impressive turnarounds in NBA history, the trade return for Rondo is another move that the Celtics are still reaping the benefits from over three years later. With Rondo back in Boston on Tuesday night, let’s take a look back at each of the individual pieces of that deal and examine how it may end up being one of the most important moves of this era for Ainge.

The initial trade

The Celtics send Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell to the Dallas Mavericks for Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, a protected 2016 first round pick and a 2016 second round pick.

Jae Crowder: With Crowder, the Celtics may not have done a better job building up the value of a player in such a short span of time. It’s easy to forget that Marquette product came to Boston from the Mavs as an intriguing bench piece and little more. He was a former second-round pick and  a gritty defender, but someone who lacked a reliable outside shot (33 percent from 3 during his Dallas days). That kept his minutes down on a pretty talented Dallas team, but the Celtics saw the makings of a true 3-and-D wing.

Ainge dealt starting small forward Jeff Green away within weeks of Crowder’s arrival, opening the door for big minutes for Crowder (25 per game in his first season in Boston). His effectiveness on both ends was evident almost immediately as he played his way into a vital bench piece for Brad Stevens, even though his shooting (29.3 percent from 3 during 2014-15 season) was subpar. The Celtics took advantage of that career-low shooting performance and his restricted free agency to negotiate a team-friendly five-year, $35 million contract in the summer of 2015 that quickly became one of the best value deals in the league in the months to come.

We all know what an integral piece of the Celtics lineup that Crowder morphed into over his last couple seasons and make no mistake about the importance of that development. The Celtics probably don’t have the ammo to get Kyrie Irving without him this summer, unless they gave up a younger piece like Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. The Nets pick was the most important piece of that deal in the Cavs’ eyes, but Crowder was a clear second when you look at the trade package. His play has dropped off considerably this year in his new home, but it’s important to remember just how far he came in a few years as a secondary piece in the Rondo deal. The Celtics bought low and sold high with him.

Brandan Wright: The athletic big man was 27 when the Celtics acquired him in the Rondo deal and he only played ten games in a Celtic uniform. Wright was in the final year of his contract during the 2014-15 regular season and was not a part of the team’s rebuilding plan with his free agency looming. He was simply viewed as another asset the team could sell off ahead of the trade deadline and they wasted no time in doing that. He was moved in January 2015 to the Phoenix Suns for a lottery-protected first round pick that ultimately turned into two second round picks (via Minnesota) when the Wolves didn’t qualify for the playoffs in 2015 and 2016.

One of those second round selections was Semi Ojeleye (No. 37 pick in 2017 NBA Draft). The other was used by Ainge to acquire another potential first round pick down the road. That 2016 second round pick (No. 35 overall) was sent to Memphis with the No. 31 selection by Boston for a 2019 lottery protected first round pick (via the Clippers) during the 2016 NBA Draft.

That Clippers selection is protected 1-14 for the 2019 and 2020 draft, otherwise it turns into a 2022 second round pick. With the Clippers retaining Blake Griffin this offseason and seemingly turning things around over the last month, it appears they won’t be blowing up their core anytime soon. That’s good news for the Celtics as they look to add an extra first round pick to their stash next summer.

Jameer Nelson: The veteran point guard played just six games in Boston, before the Celtics found a taker for his $2.7 million contract in Denver. The Celtics were happy to send the veteran point guard out west for Nate Robinson, since Robinson was willing to accept a buyout for a chance to play for a playoff team. Boston saved some cash by making the deal (they bought out Robinson immediately) and got out of Nelson’s contract for the 2015-16 season.

2016 first round pick from Dallas: The top-7 protected first round pick ended up being No. 16 overall. The Celtics used it on a draft-and-stash in Guerschon Yabusele. The power forward spent a year playing pro ball in China before signing his NBA deal this summer. He’s under team control for the next four seasons for $12.6 million as a 22-year-old. It’s likely Yabusele is at least a year or two from potentially being a regular part of the team’s rotation. Still, the Frenchman has shown enough glimpses of potential (3-point shooting, rebounding) to be a bench contributor down the line.

2016 second round pick from Dallas: The Celtics picked Demetrius Jackson at No. 45 with this pick and waived him last summer after his rookie season.

Final Analysis

It’s important to note that the Celtics did give up more than Rondo in this trade. At the time of the deal, Dwight Powell was simply a rookie throw-in for Boston, who needed to clear out a player from their roster to make room for the three incoming Mavericks. League sources told Bostonsportsjournal.com that the Celtics had a choice of including Powell or Phil Pressey in the deal and opted to keep the young point guard. While Powell surprisingly developed into a useful reserve (Pressey is no longer in the league), this is a very minor drawback to an otherwise spectacular deal for Boston.

Leveraging assets is such an important skill in the NBA world for organizations and few teams have done it a well as Boston did in this deal. They sold high on Rondo in the wake of an ACL tear and despite the fact he was on an expiring contract. They built up the value of Crowder after acquiring him, turning him into an important trade chip for the eventual acquisition of a star. They turned excess second round picks into a potential future first round pick that could be waiting for them in 2019. Plus, they have a couple young promising pieces (Ojeleye, Yabusele) under contract through 2021 thanks to the deal that keeps on giving for the Celtics.