Rajon Rondo will become a free agent after the 2014-15 NBA season, and there is growing speculation that the Boston Celtics will eventually decide to trade the All-Star point guard.

The Celtics are expected to offer a long-term deal to Rondo, but league executives are convinced that the 28-year-old guard will turn down the deal to become a free agent in the summer of 2015.

And if the Celtics fail to get a long-term commitment, Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler reported that the Celtics will eventually trade Rondo instead of losing him for nothing in return next offseason.

"Rondo is considered the top obtainable free agent in the 2015 free agent class and he is likely going to command a max level, or near max level contract," Kyler wrote. "It seem inevitable that Rondo is going to be traded, the question is what the return is going to be for Boston, especially when it's more likely than not that Rondo explores his options in July."

Kyler expects Rondo to start next season with the Celtics, though, pointing out that the Celtics might utilize the 28-year-old as a mentor to rookie guard Marcus Smart, the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, before trading him before next season's NBA trade deadline.

"I think you use Rondo as training wheels of sorts for Marcus Smart. Allow him to ease into the NBA and then have a heart to heart with Rondo," Kyler wrote. "I think if Rondo doesn't indicate that he wants to be part of the future in Boston and that free agency in July is just about resetting the finances; if there is any doubt, you have to trade him."

Previous reports indicated that the Houston Rockets are strongly interested in acquiring Rondo to pair him up with fellow superstars Dwight Howard and James Harden.

However, the Rockets might have to wait for Rondo to become a free agent because they have already moved possible trade pieces Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, while also losing Chandler Parsons in free agency.

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