NEWPORT – Rajon Rondo is on a mission this year.

He has three goals to accomplish, and if he does that, Boston's fourth-year point guard figures it could change the rest of his life.

His first goal, and biggest one, is to help the Celtics win their 18th NBA title in franchise history.

"I'm trying to get a ring," Rondo said on Monday at the Celtics Media Day.

His second is to become the best point guard in the NBA.

His third goal is to sign a multimillion dollar contract that will make him one of the richest point guards in the league.

He figures if he can accomplish the first two goals, the third will follow.

It took only three short seasons for Rondo to become one of the best point guards in the NBA, so it only makes sense that the Celtics would try to do everything in their power to keep him.

But if the Celtics don't extend his contract by Oct. 31, Rondo will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. The Celtics could match any offer if it comes to that, but neither Celtics director of basketball operations, Danny Ainge, or Rondo are too concerned about that right now.

They will resume contract talks at some point this preseason with the goal of coming to an agreement before the Halloween deadline.

"I try not to focus on it," Rondo said. "What's going to happen is going to happen. I'm trying to get a ring.

"I don't think it'll be on my mind. I won't allow it to affect me during the season. Of course, everyone wants security and it'd be great if I could sign now, but the focus is a ring. I'll let my agent (Bill Duffy) handle the contract stuff and I'll just play."

At the Celtics Media Day on Monday, Ainge said: "We had a good conversation last week to kind of kick things off, but I'm not going to address that at all. We have until Oct. 31. Our intention is to have Rondo as our franchise point guard for a decade, and I think Rondo wants to be here for a long time as well."

The Celtics have Rondo at a bargain price of $2.6 million this season, but after nearly averaging a triple-double in the playoffs last year (16.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.7 rebounds), he is due for a big raise.

"These things are just about dollar amounts," Ainge said. "We may do something in October, or next summer we'll have the ability to do it. We'll just play it by ear."

So does Rondo want to be the Celtics point guard of the future?

"I want to be wherever I'm wanted for the next 10 years. If Danny wants me, I'll be here for the next 10 years. This may be the biggest contract I get, but I don't think about it like that. The more wins I get, the more chance I'll have to play long term. I've got a chance to get a couple of rings and take advantage of the team we have."

The Celtics are getting older, and Rasheed Wallace, 35, Ray Allen, 34, and Kevin Garnett, 33, might not be around after the 2012 season, Boston coach Doc Rivers said, and Paul Pierce, 31, isn't getting any younger either.

Rondo, meanwhile, is only 23, and he is one of the game's biggest rising stars. He posted the fourth-highest total in franchise history for assists in a single season with 659 last year.

"I think it's clear to everyone he's a player we feel can help us make the transition from where we are now and in the next couple of years to the future," Ainge said.

Rivers handed Rondo the keys to the car last season, relying on him to call most of the plays. Before then, Rivers called most of the plays. It was a sign of trust and Rondo didn't let him down.

Now the Celtics are looking for Rondo to be more of a leader in the locker room and on and off the court. They want him to be able to consistently knock down open jumpers and be a 3-point threat.

While Rondo did knock down 50.5 percent of his shots last season – third best among point guards – the majority of them were on drives to the basket. Teams often sagged off of him and dared him to make an open jumper, which allowed them to double-team Paul Pierce or Ray Allen. But if Rondo can show that he can consistently make the 15-foot jump shot and beyond, he will become much more dangerous.

For the season, Rondo averaged 11.9 points, 8.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game last year. He said that he didn't limit his offseason workouts to just working on his jump shots, though he did take a lot of jumpers and 3-pointers. Rondo also worked on his defense, ball handling skills, and court awareness.

"I worked on all aspects of my game but my main focus this year is defense," Rondo said.

With a proper diet and exercise, Rondo put on 11 pounds of muscle. He has bulked up to 186 pounds.

"I'm impressed with the way he played," Rivers said after practice yesterday. "He shot the ball really well. He ran the team well."

Rondo said that he has been working so hard so that he can quarterback the Celtics to another NBA title this season.

roblee@projo.com