Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - In what was essentially a procedural move to prepare Rajon Rondo for his expected season debut, the Boston Celtics assigned the All-Star point guard to the Maine Red Claws on Wednesday before recalling him from the team's NBA Development League affiliate.
The transaction enabled Rondo, working his way back from a torn ACL suffered nearly a year ago, to practice with the Red Claws in advance of the Celtics' upcomimg game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Rondo had hinted via a Twitter message on Monday that he was on schedule to play in Friday's contest.
"Rajon is progressing terrifically in his rehab and this is the next step," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. "This is a brief assignment so that Rajon can participate in a workout this afternoon with the Red Claws and he will be called back up to the Celtics upon the conclusion of the workout."
Rondo tore his ACL on Jan. 25 of last year in a game at Atlanta and underwent surgery a few weeks later, missing Boston's final 39 games of the 2012-13 regular season as well as the team's loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
The Celtics have gone just 13-26 without the four-time All-Star in the lineup this season, the fourth-worst record in the East.
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