RAJON_RONDO_KELLY_OLYNYK.JPG

Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo, left, warms up with teammate Kelly Olynyk before an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Boston, Monday, Dec. 16, 2013.

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

The Boston Celtics thought Rajon Rondo would play a game for the Maine Red Claws earlier this week, but apparently he decided against a D-League assignment at the last moment.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told the Boston Herald that Rondo was scheduled to continue his rehab with the Red Claws on Tuesday, when the team played in Reno, Nev., for the D-League showcase. With the Celtics on a Western Conference road trip, Rondo traveling to Reno for his first game action since January would have made some sense.

But instead, according to Ainge, Rondo “changed his mind about that.”

“The initial decision, we were told, was that he would play (Tuesday),” Ainge told the Herald, “but the (Celtics) had a great practice in Denver (on Monday) and I guess he wanted to stay with the team after that.”

Players with three or more years of experience cannot be assigned to the D-League without their consent, so Rondo can only play with Boston’s D-League affiliate if he chooses to. Stressing the need for 5-on-5 action, the guard has appeared to be on board with the option. Ainge has said a rehab stint with the Red Claws was initially Rondo’s idea.

But apparently a great practice in Denver changed that. In retrospect, Rondo probably should have run for Reno instead: The Celtics followed up the tremendous practice with a 31-point loss Tuesday, which he could have missed to form the D-League’s best backcourt with MarShon Brooks.

But clearly, if Rondo was supposed to play in a game this week, he’s getting closer to a return. If he remains serious about getting D-League game action before returning to the Celtics, Friday could provide another possibility. The Red Claws visit Santa Cruz, Cali., a little more than an hour away from where the Celtics meet the Golden State Warriors.

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said he’s communicated with his former point guard frequently of late, and believes Rondo is itching to get back to the lineup. With the struggling Celtics a lot less star-studded than the team Rondo last played for, he should come back to a different role.

“I think he’s ready for it,” Rivers said. “We’ve talked a lot recently, and I think he’s ready to come back. I think he’s a little concerned with not playing any games and all that, but I think the leadership part – I think it’s been really good that he’s been on the bench for the most part, watching (and) observing. I think that will serve him well when he comes back. Obviously it’s going to take him some time with the rust and conditioning, but I think he’ll be fine.”

While Celtics head coach Brad Stevens discussed the difficulty of the recent losing skid (“this is really hard, it’s not something I enjoy; I don’t think it’s something any of our guys enjoy”), he revealed that he met Wednesday with Rondo.

“I was talking to him about a lot of different things,” Stevens explained. “I sit down with him occasionally and we just talk about kind of the state of everything, and how he can continue to be the best leader he can be, and how he can help young guys through. Not only at times when you’re not playing as well, but we’ve had our moments too where we’ve played pretty well. And there’s challenges with both of those things.”