NBA

Celtics GM rules out Rondo trade as Shumpert rumors swirl

Celtics GM Danny Ainge said point guard Rajon Rondo isn’t close to playing and isn’t close to being traded.

He denied multiple reports the Knicks made a Rondo inquiry during their shopping of Iman Shumpert. One elaborate report stated the Knicks were offering Amar’e Stoudemire, whose contract expires after next season, and the Celtics would give them one of their players on unsightly contracts, such as Gerald Wallace. Maybe Ainge did not consider it a legitimate offer.

Rondo has yet to play this season as he recovers from ACL surgery. Ainge said he has not heard from any teams about the 27-year-old nifty passer.

“Rondo is coming off an injury and I think people know how much we love Rondo, so I don’t expect anybody to inquire, quite honestly,” Ainge said Monday, according to the Boston Globe. “People know that Rondo is a big part of our future and that we’re not going to trade him.”

Ainge called Rondo “the centerpiece of our future.”

He added, “Guys that are starting All-Star players just don’t come around. The special players, the transcendent players in our league, are very difficult to find and acquire. We believe Rondo is one of those guys. He’s a very special player. We value him a great deal.

“What’s real is, he’s going nowhere. That’s what’s real.”

Ainge said there is no time frame for when Rondo might return. Rondo had right knee surgery nearly nine months ago and has been cleared for sprints but no basketball activity.

“I don’t think we’re feeling that it’s real close,” Ainge said. “It’s not any time real soon.”

Shumpert did not speak to reporters after Monday’s Knicks practice. On Sunday, he told The Post: “If I get traded, I get traded.”