Rajon Rondo (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Sacramento Kings are rumored to be shopping their summer acquisition Rajon Rondo as the one-time NBA champ is already exploring his options come next year's free agency.
Rondo seems to have revived his career with the Kings this season, averaging an NBA-best 10.6 assists per game, 12.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.
On top of that, Rondo fits well under George Karl's offensive system and has created a good relationship with Kings enigmatic center DeMarcus Cousins.
Rondo has put aside his struggles during his short stint with the Dallas Mavericks last season, and is now poised to getting a max contract in next year's free agency market, when plenty of NBA teams have the luxury to give stars like Rondo a max contract, reports Sean Deveney of Sporting News.
Deveney claimed one Eastern Conference general manager believes that Rondo is close to getting a max contract next year if he continues to play in his All-Star form.
Zach Harper of CBS Sports also believes Rondo could grab a huge payday next year, significantly improving the one-year $10 million contract he signed with the Kings.
Harper wrote: "Through the first month of the season, Rondo appears to be revived a bit. And that could lead to a gigantic payday we always assumed was coming his way when he was a member of the Boston Celtics."
However, along with Rondo's recovered basketball mojo is his uncertain future with the Kings.
In an interview with Marc J Spears of Yahoo Sports, Rondo confessed he had been waiting to play with Cousins, but admitted that "anything is possible" when free agency hits.
It is not surprising that Rondo plans to explore the market, considering the huge amount of money awaiting free agents once the NBA's new TV deal kicks in.
If the Kings see themselves as a contender for a playoff spot, keeping Rondo would boost their chances. But a slate of 7-13 does not look like Sacramento could crack a postseason slot.
Moreover, the Kings could net valuable assets for Rondo while he is still flashing his All-Star form.
One possible landing spot for Rondo is the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been linked to the former Boston Celtics guard for numerous amount of times.
The Lakers have shown interest with Rondo leading up to last summer's free agency. But Rondo's flameout with the Mavs in the playoffs caused him to land a contract that seems to befit his output in the past season.
LA is reportedly considering to trade their young core of talents to a superstar in the off season, according to Lakers Nation. They could use Jordan Clarkson and/or D'Angelo Russell as trade chips to acquire Rondo from the Kings.
However, the Lakers are at the pit of the Western Conference standings, so trading for Rondo would not do much for a team that appears to be in full-tank mode.
Plus, Rondo's history of injury makes him the unlikely candidate for the superstar the Lakers are looking for in exchange of their young talents.
While this trade scenario is all speculation, Rondo landing with another NBA team before the deadline is still a possibility.
