NBA Free Agency: 10 players most likely to move this summer

By Tom West | May 25, 2016

May 23, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) drives to the basket around Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli (31) during the first half in game three of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 3, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Rajon Rondo (9) reacts to taunts by the Dallas Mavericks fans during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

6. Rajon Rondo

From a numbers standpoint, it might surprise you to see Rajon Rondo on this list after a major bounce-back season with the Kings. His time with the Dallas Mavericks was a disaster, but he quickly left for Sacramento and led the NBA with 11.7 assists per game.

Amazing, right? Russell Westbrook wasn’t even that close with 10.4 in second place, instantly creating the impression that Rondo is well and truly back as one of the top point guards in the game. Yet, when you realize that he holds onto the ball so often and tries so hard to create as many assists as possible (stat hunting at times), it’s not so valuable, not to mention the fact that the Kings’ net rating dropped by 1.3 with Rondo on the floor.

Averaging two steals per game doesn’t necessarily translate to a positive defensive impact, especially when Rondo normally seems to coast around on defense and often caused simple breakdowns, waiting for the next chance to deliver a random behind-the-back dime.

The Kings have clearly picked up on this (and his general demeanor) when considering their stance on Rondo for free agency. They also benefit from having a talented point guard like Darren Collison on the roster who’s signed through 2016-17. ESPN’s Zach Lowe has reported that they may be willing to pay him even less than we might think:

"The latest scuttlebutt is that the Kings are prepared to cut bait with Rajon Rondo if the bidding for him gets beyond a certain threshold that is lower than we might imagine, given the Kings’ recent transaction history."

Lowe isn’t the only one to report the Kings’ lack of enthusiasm for re-signing Rondo either. James Ham of CSN Bay Area has also reported the following:

"CSN California has confirmed an earlier report through a league source that the Kings have cooled slightly on the idea of bringing back point guard Rajon Rondo for a second tour of duty."

It’s not certain, of course, but it seems as though the Kings won’t be too worried if they let Rondo walk to avoid paying him a of significant sum.

Next: 5. Jared Sullinger

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