Rajon Rondo will be one of the top NBA free agents this summer and the Los Angeles Lakers appear to be the favorites to sign him, while the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings also could be in the mix in free agency to bring in the point guard, as his return to the Dallas Mavericks looks highly unlikely after the way the season ended.
Rondo was acquired by the Mavericks at the trade deadline, but he never fit in with the team and ended the season on the bench with an injury. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers are the most likely landing spot for Rondo, but the team wants to only "at a certain price" and they may be looking for a "discount" deal. The Lakers were interested in trading for Rondo at the deadline and reports said that Rondo planned to sign with the team if he had finished the season out in Boston.
The Lakers are set to have a ton of cap space this offseason, but they would like to sign multiple free agents and that could mean giving Rondo a lower offer than he expects. Reports in the past have had Rondo expressing his interest in signing with the Lakers and if that is true, he could be willing to lower his price. The Knicks also could be in the mix for Rondo, but the Sporting News reports that may go after the "younger tier" of free agents like Greg Monroe and Reggie Jackson over players like Rondo and Goran Dragic.
Mavs' head coach Rick Carlisle spoke about Rondo and said to ESPN that the trade was worth the risk for the Mavericks, even if they don't bring back Rondo on another contract. Rondo likely wants a max contract or near to that and the Mavs are not going to meet that price. The team went after Rondo and did not give up too much to get him, so it wouldn't be crushing to lose him in free agency, even after giving up draft picks.
Rondo averaged eight points and seven assists per game this season and that was down from where he has been over the last stretch of his career. Changing teams didn't help, but the Mavericks offense was not the best showcase for Rondo and that could hurt him in free agency. Rondo is getting older and has a serious injury in his past and that could keep some teams from going big on offers. Rondo is a very good point guard and over the past four years he has averaged double digit assists three times.
Rondo sometimes has issues with coaches and other players, which may make some teams cautious when thinking about signing him. Rondo was once one of the top defensive players in the league and he will have to regain that form if he gets a max deal. The Knicks and Lakers can afford to make that offer, but it's likely that they will offer less than that after the way this season went. Reports have the Lakers wanting Rondo only at a certain price and that could test the idea that Rondo "wants" to play for the Lakers. Time will tell.
