FanShot

"Ray Felton/Wesley Matthews: The Portland backcourt of the future is back on the bench, replaced by...

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"Ray Felton/Wesley Matthews: The Portland backcourt of the future is back on the bench, replaced by Jamal Crawford and Nicolas Batum. The play of Felton in New York versus now and Jeremy Lin enhances Mike D’Antoni’s standing again. They are not the sort of players you’d get that much for. But they are guys with value who can fill roles with a contending team. Portland’s stuck in a tough spot as a perennial likely first round playoff victim. So you wonder if they’ll look at a shakeup. Chances of Felton or Matthews being traded: 20 percent. Rajon Rondo: The Celtics are playing just bad enough that GM Danny Ainge will not have any problems breaking up his old gang. There’s not much to get for the likes of Kevin Garnett, but Rondo is the guy. Even since they traded Kendrick Perkins you get the sense he’s checked out mentally, if not with his play. More the feeling that the organization doesn’t have his back. There have been Rondo for Pau rumors and I thought they should have tried to trade him for Russell Westbrook. Portland’s got a bunch of young players and is going nowhere, so perhaps something there. His contract is reasonable for an All-Star and long, so he’s desirable. And the Celtics don’t want to be caught in that early 90’s fall without trading someone. Chances of Rondo being traded: 60 percent."

Sam Smith http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/smith_120227.html