Rajon Rondo Not Expected to Play for Mavericks Again, According to Rick Carlisle

One day after giving him just 10 minutes of playing time and hours after reports surfaced about a suspicious season-ending "back injury," Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle publicized the NBA's worst-kept secret: Rajon Rondo has played his last game in a Mavericks uniform. 

"No, I don't," Carlisle said Wednesday when asked if he expects Rondo to play for Dallas again, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Rondo scored four points and had two rebounds in Tuesday night's 111-99 loss to the Houston Rockets, as Carlisle limited him to just 10 minutes of floor time. The former All-Star was not seen again after being pulled 34 seconds into the second half. Carlisle's decision came moments after Rondo drew a technical foul after attempting to kick the basketball and pushing Houston's James Harden. 

It was Rondo's fourth personal in under 10 minutes. J.J. Barea and Raymond Felton handled the point guard duties for most of the second half while Rondo sulked on the bench. 

"All I know right now is that we need everybody at their competitive best," an obviously perturbed Carlisle told reporters after the game. "This isn't about one guy who did or didn't play. This is about everybody pulling in the same direction for the organization. That's what it's about."

Not long after Tuesday's loss, a report from Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski surfaced saying Rondo would not return to Dallas if Carlisle is still the coach.

Rondo and the Mavericks coach have butted heads since the enigmatic point guard's arrival, mostly over the flow of the team's offense. Rondo prefers a dribble-heavy, slash-and-kick style, which runs in stark contrast to the pass-heavy flow style Carlisle has installed.

News of Rondo's heretofore unheard of back injury came via ESPN's Marc Stein not long before Carlisle's press conference. Carlisle said Rondo will not be with the team while he recovers from the injury, per Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com:

While the Mavericks undoubtedly acquired Rondo on a discount—they owe just one top-seven protected selection to Boston, and the likes of Jae Crowder and Brandan Wright have their flaws—this will go down as one of the worst superstar acquisitions in recent memory. Even the Lakers' trade for Dwight Howard involved a player who performed like a top-15 talent and allowed them to get out of the Andrew Bynum market just in time.

Nothing about Rondo's short time in Dallas can be flipped to a "bright side." His performance on both ends of the floor fell off a cliff, everyone in the locker room appears downright giddy to begin their vacations and Carlisle, one of the NBA's best coaches, seems fed up with the whole thing. Dirk Nowitzki also didn't take a huge pay cut so the Mavs could get bounced in the first round.

With Houston up 2-0 heading back to Dallas, the nightmare is likely almost over.  

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.