NBA Rumors: Rajon Rondo, Kings mutually interested, moving forward
Rajon Rondo and the Sacramento Kings have a strong mutual interest and will likely meet soon in NBA Free Agency.
Rajon Rondo hitting the open market of NBA free agency would have once been a major offseason storyline. After a tumultuous 2014-15 season spent butting heads with coaches, being traded, and generally underperforming, Rondo is now an unrestricted free agent who won’t draw anything near a max contract this summer.
Next: 10 Teams Who Should Sign Kevin Love
Though it does appear that at least one team has a strong interest in bringing in Rondo this summer: the Sacramento Kings. According to a report from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Kings vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac called Rondo as soon as free agency began at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday. A deal wasn’t offered, but Divac has invited Rondo to Sacramento for a meeting.
An interesting wrinkle concerning Rondo as a free agent this summer is the fact that he’s reportedly not seeking a long-term contract. According to Chris Mannix of SI, Rondo is instead only looking to sign a one-year deal so that he can rebuild his value in the eyes of executives from around the league. From there, he plans to capitalize next summer when the salary cap makes a tremendous jump.
As far as fitting in with Sacramento, any productive form of Rondo would be a fantastic addition. He would instantly become the best point guard that DeMarcus Cousins has played with in his career (assuming he stays in Sacramento), and could be the answer to many of the issues that the Kings have had in recent years on both ends of the floor. However, you don’t know what version of Rondo you’re getting at this point in his career – especially after the way he played last season.
You can’t discount the way the Kings have operated up to this point regarding the Rondo situation. They have been wildly unpredictable and have been linked to trade talks with other point guards around the league just this summer. Subsequently, mutual interest doesn’t mean it’s a formality that Rondo is heading to Sacramento.
The Kings’ interest in Rondo is undoubtedly sensible given their need at the position and the fact that the point guard is close friends with Rudy Gay, who is vocally in support of the addition. The bigger question, though, is whom Rondo will be playing alongside if he comes to the Kings. The Cousins trade rumors continue to rumble on, and the level of uncertainty surrounding Sacramento’s roster is very real. We shall wait and see if the Kings add Rondo, and if that addition settles things down with the organization. Or perhaps it only stirs the pot further.