Rajon Rondo is one of the top targets in free agency this summer in the NBA and teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers could be interested in signing the point guard as a free agent following his trade to the Dallas Mavericks, as he is not expected to return to the team next season.
Rondo is coming into the summer after a very tough year, as he was not very effective in Dallas and things in the playoffs did not end well either. Rondo was traded to the Mavericks at the deadline from the Celtics and now he is poised to make the jump to another team. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers are considered the favorites to land Rondo, while the Rockets, Sacramento Kings, Knicks and Indiana Pacers are also potential options.
Rondo did not end up getting a playoff share in Dallas and his run with the team ended with reports about injuries and discontent between the point guard and Rick Carlisle. Rondo has always had a prickly personality and that may have been one reason why things did not work out in Dallas. During the season Pro Basketball Talk reported that Rondo wanted to be traded to the Lakers, but Los Angeles did not want to give up first round picks for a player that would be hitting free agency.
Rondo is 29 years old, but he may not be able to get a max contract on the market based on how things went for him this season. Rondo was not the same player with the Mavericks and his numbers were down across the board compared to his last few seasons. Rondo is also not the same defender he once was and while he is still above average on that end of the floor, he is not as explosive as he was before his ACL injury. Rondo is not a heavy scoring player and that could force some teams to consider how much they want to spend on him.
According to Bleacher Report, the Lakers are interested in Rondo, but only at a "discount" or a "certain price" after the season he had, as they want to sign more than one big name free agent. There is a chance a team could step up and pay Rondo big, but right now the buzz on him is not as hot as younger players like Reggie Jackson or Greg Monroe and that could play into what the Lakers are trying to do with Rondo. The team doesn't see him as a max contract player, but depending on how things develop on the market, the Lakers could be the best fit for the point guard.
The Lakers and Knicks will likely dictate a lot this offseason, as the two teams have a ton of money to spend in free agency on the salary cap. The Knicks are projected to have over $30 million in salary cap space, while the Lakers also could be in that range. Greg Monroe is expected to be a main target for both teams along with the Celtics, while LaMarcus Aldridge and Goran Dragic also could be options.
