Rajon Rondo ‘Unlikely’ To Re-Sign With Mavs, Lakers Might Still Be Team Of Choice
There’s no certainty that Rajon Rondo will re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks as an unrestricted free agent this summer, maybe even more so after this week’s turn of events.
Rondo was suspended for Wednesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to a heated exchange with head coach Rick Carlisle against the Raptors on Tuesday night. Now, ESPN’s Tim McMahon is stating what might be trending into the obvious:
The reality is Rondo’s run with the Mavs is extremely unlikely to extend past this season.
McMahon also quoted Carlisle as saying that he and Rondo agreed to communicate better and more often to present further conflict. Carlisle cited Rondo as, “an extremely important part of our team”.
An important part of this Rondo free agency discussion comes down to money. Dallas would be able to offer Rondo a more lucrative max deal than any other team, which brings us to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com:
There are rumblings among rival front offices that Rondo might just be the personality type to forego a five-year deal with the Mavs for a four-year deal with the team of his choice — the Lakers.
The Lakers are fishing for any and all free agents this summer, but their interest in Rondo has been public for some time and as recent as this season. If Rondo really is dying to be a Laker, and perhaps wants to battle with Kobe Bryant on his farewell tour next season, maybe he’d be willing to sign a lesser max deal with LA just for that.
But time is on the Mavericks’ side. Rick Carlisle and Rajon Rondo are both champions and basketball intellects. Carlisle clearly knows Rondo’s value on his team. They still have time to work with each other, make a push in the playoffs, and possibly increase the chances of Rondo staying with the Mavericks after this season.
