NBA Rumors: Sacramento Kings interested in trading for Rajon Rondo
By Bryan Rose
The Sacramento Kings made headlines today when rumors broke suggesting of their interest in trading for Josh Smith of the Detroit Pistons. Why you ask? Well, it’s apparently in hopes of pairing Smith with good friend and Boston Celtics point guard, Rajon Rondo.
More from Boston Celtics
- Predicting NBA’s Christmas Day Schedule: Lakers, Warriors highlight slate of postseason rematches
- Jaylen Brown signs richest contract in NBA history without a left hand
- Boston Celtics projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
- David Griffin thanks rival Celtics for leverage in Anthony Davis trade talks
- NBA rumors: Damian Lillard trade becoming more trouble than it’s worth for Celtics
Sound like a case of somebody having too much time playing general manager on a video game?
With Rudy Gay opting into his contract, DeMarcus Cousins fresh off an extension and Isaiah Thomas likely to be retained, the Kings already have a pretty hefty payroll so adding Smith or Rondo, let alone both seems rather unrealistic.
Another hurdle are assets. If the Kings acquired Smith, as suggested, they’d lose a few assets (namely just salary) leaving them with just a handful of pieces they could send to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Rajon Rondo. One of which could be the No. 8 pick, which the Celtics then could potentially flip, but at that point you start to have way too many hands in the cookie jar and moving pieces.
No word deal is imminent (yet) but Sacramento's well-known fondness for Rajon Rondo would help explain Kings' interest in his buddy JSmoove
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 24, 2014
All of this said, it just doesn’t sound like a likely situation, even if it honestly is being discussed. I mean, we can’t even get the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors to agree on a Kevin Love trade, let alone start involving multiple teams in multiple trade scenarios with multiple players going a handful of ways.
Of note, the Kings have reportedly been interested in Rajon Rondo before, but the Celtics have seemingly rebuffed previous efforts. One has to think that might be the situation yet again.