Though the Chicago Bulls are still vying for that final playoff spot and eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, their 2016-17 campaign can ultimately be labeled as a disappointment. While wing Jimmy Butler has took the next step into superstardom this season, the pieces in Chicago just don’t seem to fit on the court or off it. Butler was surrounded in trade rumors throughout the first half of the season and the additions of veteran guards Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade have not panned out like they were supposed to.
Out of the two, the Wade experiment has certainly been more successful than Rondo’s stint in Chicago. Once a key floor general for a championship squad in the Boston Celtics, Rondo has struggled to find his footing in the NBA since, bouncing around from the Dallas Mavericks to the Sacramento Kings and finally landing in Chicago. Instead of getting the old Rajon Rondo that dazzled fans and teammates alike with his uncanny ability to spread the ball, the four-time All-Star has once again struggled immensely in his new home, falling in and out of head coach Fred Hoiberg’s rotation.
Now with 15 games plus potentially the postseason remaining for the Bulls, Rondo is already looking past all of that to this upcoming offseason, one in which he is expected to hit the free agent market for the third straight year. Moving forward with his career is a must for Rondo and it doesn’t seem as though the troubled guard intends on staying in the Windy City. In fact, Rondo told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that all he really wants is a straightforward coach and to play with an organization that already has a winning foundation:
“My perspective on things [has changed], I would love to be part of a winning tradition or winning culture,” he said. “I thought I was going to get that here. The people up top are going in a different direction as far as experimenting. It [stinks] when you have the opportunity to make the playoffs and they want to go a different route.
“I’m looking for a straightforward coach. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most, sitting down with a coach. I want to develop a relationship and see what his goals are.”
It’s clear that though this season still has some basketball left, Rajon Rondo has no plans on sticking around and who can blame him. The internal disorganization that we’ve seen from the Bulls this year has placed them on the brink of a full-blown rebuild. Pile onto that the frustration that comes with not having a definitive role, and it’s no surprise Rondo doesn’t see a future in a Bulls uniform.
With point guard being a deeper position than ever, though, the question that remains is will Rondo get another opportunity to play an important role for a contending team, especially with his baggage.
