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Celtics At 7: Will Rajon Rondo Return Next Week?

BOSTON (CBS) - Rajon Rondo still doesn't have a return date, but the Celtics point guard said he'll be back before the All-Star break on Friday afternoon.

"It may be this month, next month. It'll be before All-Star Break," Rondo told reporters.

Rondo, who has been out since last January recovering from an ACL injury, joked that he would likely wake up one morning and play that night. He's been practicing with the team for the last several weeks since being cleared for contact, and said he feels 10-times better since his first practice in December.

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So while Rondo thinks a return before the All Star break is realistic, Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports is a bit more specific. Spears reports that All Star point guard is targeting his season debut for January 17th against the Lakers at home.

"We knew at some point he would be out on the court, but we were hoping maybe he would go to the D-league, take his time and come back in February, but it sounds like none of that is going to be the case,"Adam Jones said Friday night.

Jones hesitates to use the dreaded "t" word, but for Celtics fans hoping to get Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins or Julius Randle in the upcoming NBA draft, Rondo's expedited return is not good news.

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"If you're rooting for the Celtics to get the best lottery pick possible, and I know nobody likes the word 'tanking', but if you're rooting for that scenario, probably not ideal that he's coming back before February."

Speaking of February, Rich Keefe and Adam Jones talked about the NBA trade deadline and what Celtics could get moved by then.

Listen below for the full discussion:

Celtics At 7: Will Rajon Rondo Return Next Week?

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