Rajon Rondo has surgery to repair a broken hand, expected to miss 6-8 weeks
The Boston Celtics could once again be facing an uncertain short-term without superstar point guard Rajon Rondo.
Rondo has suffered a broken hand, according to a report from the Boston Globe, and is said to have undergone surgery on Friday. Rondo is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
The Celtics released the following statement, confirming that timeline:
The Boston Celtics announced today that guard Rajon Rondo underwent successful surgical fixation of a left metacarpal fracture this morning at New England Baptist Hospital. The injury was a result of a fall at his home last night. The surgery was performed by Dr. Hervey Kimball and Celtics Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon. Estimated timetable for return is six to eight weeks.
The four-time All-Star has appeared in just 68 games over the past two seasons due to a torn ACL that ended his 2012-13 and caused a late start to his 2013-14. By season's end last year, he finally appeared to be rounding into form, and the Celtics appeared to expect him at the helm of this still-rebuilding squad when training camp opened.
All the while, Rondo's name has been in trade rumors, as he can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. While he's still just 28, it's unclear if he figures into Boston's long-term plans after they drafted Marcus Smart and re-signed Avery Bradley this summer.
"Are you seriously asking me that again?" team president Danny Ainge had asked reporters this week when questioned about Rondo trade rumors. "Yes, we expect Rajon to be in Boston for the long term."
Obviously, an injury would but a temporary stay on any trade talks. Even if they hadn't planned to deal him, his loss is significant, though the Celtics aren't primed to compete for a playoff spot this season. They'll now open the regular season with Smart and Bradley as the team's guards, with only Phil Pressey as an additional hand on deck.
Luckily, the six-to-eight-week timetable means Rondo won't miss more than a month of the regular season.
In eight years with Boston, Rondo has averaged 11.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.9 steals while providing tenacious defense. He is surely a top-10 point guard in the league when healthy, a status his $12.9-million salary for this season backs up (ranking eighth among point guards), but his lack of durability may hurt the market for his services as he hasn't topped 68 games in four consecutive seasons.