NBA Trade Rumors: Do New York Knicks Have Grand Plan To Get Rajon Rondo From Boston Celtics?

The New York Knicks have a grand plan to get Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo and eventually convince Carmelo Anthony to stay in the Big Apple next summer, a source close to situation reported on Friday.

According to CBS NBA writer Matt Moore, the Knicks are hopeful they can acquire Rondo either before the midseason trade deadline or next summer via trade.

The Knicks front office reportedly wanted Rondo to do the same maneuver 'Melo did three seasons ago, when he asked the Denver Nuggets to trade him to the Big Apple.

"According to league sources, the Knicks' first prong is to try to attract the Celtics' Rajon Rondo. This idea has been tossed around in various forms for a while now, it's not shocking. But the way the Knicks are hoping to get Rondo is a little unusual," ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said via CBS Sports

"It's not in free agency in 2015 but later this season or next summer when he comes back from a torn ACL. The Knicks are hoping Rondo will be interested in making a maneuver similar to what Anthony did back in 2011 and eventually try to force a trade to the Knicks," sources said.

Rondo is still recovering from a torn ACL injury, and it remains uncertain when he'll make his comeback. Several weeks ago, there were reports that Anthony was exchanging text messages with the All-Star guard in an attempt to lure him to the Knicks, though Rondo quickly denied such rumors.

"People talk, media talk, people make up rumors, people run with them," Rondo said after the Celtics' shootaround Tuesday before they played the Brooklyn Nets. Rondo said via NBC Sports"I haven't spoken to him. He ain't contacted me. It's just rumors."

On the other hand, the Celtics have repeatedly denied that they are planning to move Rondo despite dealing a barrage of trade proposals that bobbed out of nowhere for the last three or four months. Then again, basketball analysts are still not sure if Rondo will indeed finish the season in a Celtics uniform

"The Celtics have consistently denied they want to trade Rondo. But once this trade deadline passes, and it isn't clear if he will even play before February, Rondo will have only one guaranteed season left on his contract."

"Like with Anthony when he applied pressure to the Denver Nuggets by threatening to leave in free agency, the Knicks wonder if Rondo will be able to have a say in where he might be traded if the Celtics end up fearful he'll leave in free agency," via CBS Sports.