NBA Extends The Deadline, Doc Says Rondo 'A Celtic For Life'

Late Thursday, it was announced that the NBA had extended the deadline for members of the 2006 Draft Class to sign contract extensions. Previously, the deadline for Rajon Rondo and the Celtics was Saturday, but with the recent announcement, Boston now has until Monday to negotiate with its star point guard, Rajon Rondo.

From Real GM:

The NBA has pushed the deadline for contract extensions for all players from the 2006 draft class from Saturday to Monday, league spokesman Tim Frank confirmed Thursday night to ESPN.

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that all 30 teams were notified via league memorandum earlier this week that the league’s annual Oct. 31 deadline for players in the fourth year of their rookie-scale contracts, according to the collective-bargaining agreement, is moved to the next available business day if the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday.

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers spoke about the situation earlier this week, and had said he’s not particularly concerned about the implications of the current discussions, as both sides want to keep Rondo in Boston. From Sports Radio Interviews, Doc talks Rondo:

On if he thinks Rajon Rondo is a top-5 point guard in the NBA:

"I think he is. I think it fluctuates, obviously. Definitely top 10. Honestly, I don’t know who is in the top 10 when I say this. I’m biased because I coach him every day. I think he’s done a wonderful job this summer working on his weaknesses. … The regular season, he’s going to keep getting better. And then the big test for Rondo is during the playoffs, as you know, and how they defend him. But I think he’s better equipped now to handle that. I just love what he did. He put in hours a day working on that shot and working with Mark Price. And you can see the effects coming through right now."

On if he thinks a new deal will be reached between Rondo and the organization before Saturday night:

"I have no idea. Obviously, I think both sides are working to get that done. I think if it happens, it’s great. If it doesn’t, I don’t think it affects either side. Like I said before, I believe he’ll be a Celtic for life whether he gets this deal done by October 31st or not."

Indeed, Doc seems mighty confident that Rondo will be content to stay in Boston for the long haul. But that may be a bit presumptuous. You have to consider that Rondo’s a very good player, but in Boston, he’s looked upon strictly as a complimentary piece next to Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen—even if the actual games belie that perception.

When Danny Ainge tried to trade him this past summer, it’s reasonable to assume that some damage was done to Rondo’s relationship with the team, a relationship further plagued by the team’s refusal to offer Rondo an extension commensurate with the best players in his class. None of us know what, if any, kind of grudge Rondo may hold against Boston management for these things, but to pretend they have no effect and that this relationship is great seems a bit unrealistic. Doc may ultimately be proven right in his optimistic prognosis for Rondo’s future in Boston, there’s equal chance he’ll proven naive, if you ask me.