Rumor: Ray, Rondo for Rip, Tayshaun & Stuckey

Via Yahoo! Sports (courtesy WEEI.com's Jess Camerato):

The Celtics offered Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to the Detroit Pistons for a package that included Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey , league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Boston general manager Danny Ainge and Detroit’s Joe Dumars never spoke, but rather the Celtics had a lower-level executive make the pitch to a Pistons official over the past weekend, league sources said. Detroit immediately rejected the idea, and it never advanced to the two top executives speaking about particulars.

Boston is unlikely to re-sign Allen to a long-term extension next summer, and there is belief around the league that the Celtics have hesitancy about committing a long-term, expensive contract to Rondo.

For the Pistons, this deal makes little sense, unless they wanted to let Allen’s expiring deal gain even more salary cap space for the free-agent class of 2010. The idea of trading his three best returners for an expiring contract and one good young player wasn’t worth considering for Dumars, sources said.

Wow, that's quite the blockbuster rumor and one I would absolutely pull the trigger on were I running the Celtics.

It annoys me that Ray Allen is being labeled as simply an "expiring contract" in this deal. Yes, his contract situation is attractive but let's not forget he's the best player in this proposed trade.

If the Celtics continue to be this aggressive shopping Rondo, they will eventually find a taker.

And the latest Kobe-bashing comes via With Leather:

I’m not saying that the Kobe should never leave his house; I’m just sick of the jock-sniffing that ESPN heaps upon him, seemingly ignoring what everyone else saw during the playoffs: another petulant athlete that tries way too hard to look like a good guy whenever a camera’s in his face. And the Monolith, with its multi-year contract to broadcast NBA games, can’t seem to shove enough cameras in his general direction. They’re happy to do whatever they think will make Kobe look like a good guy, which is the second-best reason to suspect that he isn’t. In fact, ESPN would seem content showing Kobe mowing his lawn, brushing his teeth, or doing anything that doesn’t resemble anally penetrating a 20-year-old woman in a ski lodge. And yet, whenever Bryant pops up on my TV, that’s the only thing I see…

Well said.

And while you're bored at work, don't forget to check out our new photo gallery of Bar Rafaeli. You can also enjoy Celtics dancer Alison Preston, supermodel Adriana Lima, and a bevy of smokin' hot NBA dancers.