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Has Rajon Rondo informed the Boston Celtics he "wants out"?

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Publicly, Rajon Rondo and the Boston Celtics have supported each other strongly. Rondo has said "I don't like change much" and "I wouldn't mind staying here the rest of my career." He has repeatedly backed Danny Ainge, offering "complete faith" his boss will put together another contending roster. Rondo has hailed Brad Stevens and even decided, apparently for the first time ever, to spend the majority of his offseason in Boston.

Likewise, the organization has stood in Rondo's corner. Stevens has said he loves coaching the point guard. Wyc Grousbeck has said he loves Rondo, period. Despite consistent Rondo trade rumors, Ainge routinely scoffs at any mention of moving the four-time All-Star.

But maybe the relationship isn't as strong as the Celtics indicate or Rondo is already sick of rebuilding. During a behind-the-scenes clip of ESPN's Around the Horn, which the show posted Wednesday on YouTube, the great Jackie MacMullan suggested Rondo has already made it clear he will not stay after his contract expires next summer. (See video below.)

When Frank Isola raised the topic of trading Rondo, MacMullan replied, "Oh, I hope so. Just get it done. And it will happen because he's told them he wants out. And no one believes me, but that's the truth."

MacMullan didn't stop there. During some discussion about the trade market for Rondo (more on that later), Isola mentioned the Los Angeles Clippers and their head coach, Doc Rivers.

"He doesn't like Rondo, remember that," MacMullan said. "I mean, he's done with Rondo. They went a good, long way together, but that guy -- Rondo drives him nuts. And then (the Clippers have) Chris Paul anyway, they don't need him."

In case you haven't kept up with the Rivers-Rondo relationship, everything between the duo seemed pretty good. Since leaving the Celtics, Rivers has routinely praised Rondo. As far as I can tell, the biggest insult the coach revealed publicly after the divorce was to Bob Ryan last June: "But I will say you don't know which Rajon Rondo you're going to get from day to day." Even that remark came after Rivers said his overall relationship with Rondo was "very good." Rondo has since said the two still communicate regularly.

"I’ve talked to him on the phone. I’ve talked to him after games, text-wise. He gives me advice all the time," Rondo told the Boston Globe during the season.

Obviously, MacMullan's report does not mesh with everything else being said. But she is a Hall of Fame scribe, one of the most solid sports reporters alive. When she speaks, it's typically wise to listen. So, yeah, her words are clearly very intriguing, even if they were initially intended as off-hand comments to a few of her friends before an episode of Around the Horn.

If Rondo has told Boston he wants to leave, a number of questions come to mind. Did he decide that just because of a bad roster? Is there anything else contributing to his choice? Would Ainge sell to the highest bidder? If he doesn't find a trade he likes, would the Celtics -- knowing cap space is valuable even if Rondo walks -- possibly keep the point guard in hopes of convincing him to change his mind? What if Boston performs better than expected during the coming season, then has a lot of money to spend next summer? Would Rondo reconsider? Would he want a max contract?

And if the Celtics do trade their star, where would he go?

As MacMullan said, "I don't see how you get 80 cents on the dollar for him. Tell me where."

A lot of teams have good-to-great point guards. Some other squads (like the Knicks) have little to offer Boston. The Lakers and a few other rebuilding clubs could use a leading assist man, but might not be able to keep Rondo long term. According to MacMullan, Rondo has already told the Kings, who have shown interest, that he would never re-sign with them. The Rockets or Mavericks might want to build Rondo packages, but I'm failing to see how they could offer enough. The Suns could still sign-and-trade Eric Bledsoe, but they just added Isaiah Thomas and already feature Goran Dragic. No obvious Rondo trade partner exists. (This is where I feel the need to note that rather than making a questionable deal for Jrue Holiday last summer and moving their 2015 first-round pick for one year of Omer Asik, the Pelicans could have waited to try teaming Rondo and Anthony Davis. That could have been fun.)

Anyway, we can look further into possible Rondo trades another time. It sounds like Ainge might need to, as well.

(Thanks to Twitter user @MaxBirdsey for pointing out the video.)