Rajon Rondo (Photo : Kevin C. Cox | Getty Images Sport)
Rajon Rondo is back and it's not from an injury.
Most players can return from injury, even if it's ACL. That is not really Rondo's issue. It's when a player is not injured and still has problems.
Rondo hit rock-bottom with the Dallas Mavericks. The team traded real assets for him including their first round pick. But Rondo zoned out his coach, Rick Carlisle.
Carlisle just signed an extension with the Mavs and he also brought the team their only title. He is one of the longest tenured coaches in a league where Conference finalist coaches only last 11 games the next season. This is one case wherein the star player and not the coach will be the one to go. But Rondo was hardly a star in Dallas.
No team wanted a piece of Rondo not even the Lakers who were rumored to be pursuing him for years. He ended up with the Sacramento Kings, a team that Wesley Matthews and Tobias Harris reportedly refused to sign with despite offering more money.
Rondo was out for redemption on a one year deal, and he got it, according to Hoops Habit. He's looking more like the Rondo who dueled with Derrick Rose in the 2009 Playoffs. He has four triple doubles and a 20 assist-game against Charlotte. Although they lost that one, Rondo's improvement complemented the return of DeMarcus Cousins, and their wins made people forget about the locker room incidents.
In the Ultimate Knicks fan forum, a thread was started to request a Rondo trade, even giving up their 2018 first round pick. But why trade when he'll be a free agent next summer?
Thread starter 'Rookie' argued that the Knicks are in the playoff hunt now. Rondo would accelerate the development of rookie Kristaps Porzingis. Of course, the Knicks would dump Jose Calderon and the Kings would probably take a pick to agree to this.
If the Sacramento Kings end up outside the playoff picture and their situation does not stabilize, they could realize that Rondo will most likely walk away. This is one way they won't end up on the losing end.
