Sacramento Kings: Why Rajon Rando Makes No Sense for Kings

Boston's Rajon Rondo is one of the NBA's best point guards, and the Sacramento Kings offense is one of the worst in the leagues.

Seems like a match made in heaven, right?

So why shouldn't the Kings be trying to add Rondo? Because when added to the current Kings roster, Rondo would be a horrible fit.

The Boston Celtics are, according to reports from ESPN, aggressively trying to trade Rondo, who is widely regarded as one of the better play makers in the league but comes with a serious shooting deficiency. 

Bradford Doolittle of ESPN lays out in this article why the Kings should try and snag Rondo from the Celtics:

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The Kings have to continue to develop the Evans-Cousins core and make it work. There is just too much talent there to give up. For that pairing to succeed, the third member of Sacramento’s big three needs to be a playmaking point guard, who can make decisions for players who don’t make good ones for themselves.

If you find that, then you can get a defense-first wing to play alongside Evans on the wing and a rim protector/rebounder to go with Cousins inside. Voila! You've got a playoff contender...

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More than likely Rajon Rondo will never wear Sacramento purple, but Doolittle's notion that Rando is exactly what the Kings need is flawed.

Certainly Rondo has tremendous value, and there is no denying he is an extremely talented player. Doolittle's "potential offer" of a first round pick and either Hassan Whiteside or Isaiah Thomas is a very very fair deal for the Kings.

But Sacramento shouldn't avoid a Rondo trade because of his value, but because of Rondo simply wouldn't fit into the puzzle Sacramento is trying to build.

Let's take a look at the four reasons that the Kings shouldn't or don't need to trade for Rando.

He Wouldn't Fit with the Current Roster

Let's say Doolittle's trade worked out and the Kings shipped away Hassan Whiteside (a second round selection from last year with decent potential if he works out), a first Rounder and capspace for Rondo.

While Rondo's defensive talents and passing skills would fit well, when paired with current Kings stud Tyreke Evans, Rondo and Evans would present a huge problem for the Kings offense.

Individually, Rondo and Evans are two of the worst guard shooters in the league. Together on the same team?

Certainly, with their abilities to attack the basket, they'd still be a fear duo, but teams already play off Rondo and Evans both, daring them to shoot jumpers. The combined offense weakness would be debilitating for the Kings.

You could make the case easily that Rondo fits in with center DeMarcus Cousins, but unless the Kings are willing to give up on Evans as a key focal point of their offensive future, Rondo wouldn't make sense.

Rondo's Personalty Wouldn't Fit in Sacramento

Rondo is undeniably one of the better guards in the NBA, and he is only 26 years old.

So why would the Celtics be so eager to send him out of town? If the team is rebuilding, wouldn't it make sense to keep Rondo and try to build around him?

Simply put, a combination of Celtics mistakes and Rondo's personality no longer make it feasible to keep Rondo in Boston. But for those same reasons, Rondo wouldn't fit well in Sacramento.

Rondo was at his best in his first few years on the Celtics championship caliber teams, when he was surrounded by tons of veteran leadership on a squad that was winning tons of games.He shined next to three Hall of Famers, and quickly showed off his talents in a place where teamwork and team chemistry where paramount.

But then the problems started. Boston traded Rondo's best friend, Kendrick Perkins, in a horrible deal last season that closed the Celtics window on a championship. The Celtics spent all summer trying to work Rondo into a deal with the New Orleans Hornets for Chris Paul, and when that didn't work, they couldn't very well pretend Rondo was their future anymore.

You can't really put all the blame on Rondo for getting moody and upset, but that is what he's become. So the solution to the problem is to send him to Sacramento, where the Kings are just now starting to build team cohesion and chemistry?

The Kings already have one talented yet slightly troubled star, and his name is DeMarcus Cousins. They don't need two.

The Kings Have Bigger Needs

According to Doolittle, the Kings biggest weakness is at the point.

To quote from his article:

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Sacramento once held hope that Evans could be the primary decision-maker on offense, but he's been used more at the wing positions this year. They've been using rookie Isaiah Thomas as their starting point guard of late, but he really should be used as a streak shooter in limited minutes of the bench.

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Doolittle's assessment is flawed for two reasons.

For one, Thomas isn't "just" a streak shooter, and he could very well be the solution to the Kings needs at the position (In the past five games, he's averaging 19.2 points, 6.8 assists and shooting 50.8% from the field). Thomas certainly has all the skills to play the position and the will to excel in the NBA, and he isn't someone the Kings should give up on so quickly.

Secondly, the point isn't the Kings biggest need.

It's true the Kings offense isn't efficient, but it is certainly improving since Keith Smart took over as coach. The Kings biggest need isn't a point, but rather more help on the wing.

The Kings small forward crop consists of the dreadful John Salmons, the inconsistent Donte Greene, and the utterly disastrous Travis Outlaw. Sacramento should be trying to find more wing help, rather than messing with the point position.

Certainly, Rondo is more talented than Thomas, but until the Kings know exactly how good Thomas can be, they should focus on their bigger weakness.

Trading with Sacramento Isn't Quite so Simple

Doolittle's proposed deal between the teams would send the Kings first Round selection this season, along with Hassan Whiteside or Thomas, to the Celtics for Rondo.

Unfortunately for Sacramento, while they will most certainly OWN their pick this year, they have somewhat of a mess they must deal with when it comes to first round selections.

When the Kings traded for JJ Hickson this offseason, they send small forward Omri Casspi to Cleveland and the rights to a conditional first round selection. The Kings will keep their selection this season if they are in the lottery (which they absolutely will be) but the complications of the deal with Cleveland means the Kings can't just trade away a pick until one is sent to the Cavaliers first.

Sacramento could draft someone in June with intent to then trade the selection, but they can't just trade their pick at the upcoming March 15th trade deadline. The JJ Hickson deal is already a failure for the Kings, and the pick complication just makes it all the worse.

So Doolittle's proposal falls apart.

How then could the Kings trade for Rondo, if they can't swap any first rounders for the foreseeable future?

It makes any potential deal far, far more complicated.

What Celtic the Kings Really Should Be Focusing on

If the Celtics really are determined to trade Rondo, then there isn't any doubt that there will be teams out there who would be eager for his services. With his passing skills, Rondo could be an excellent fit for a good number of teams.

Sacramento isn't one of them. Rondo's lack of a jump-shot would only add to the Kings shooting woes, and with Sacramento already in the basement of the NBA standings, you'd have to question if Rondo would legitimately be willing to give it his all.

He's already known as a moody player, and Sacramento has enough complications as it is.

Again, I am not dogging Rondo or his skills. He's an excellent player. But he doesn't fit in Sacramento's roster.

Ray Allen, meanwhile...That would be an excellent fit. His shooting skills and leadership would be great fit. Get Danny Ainge on the phone, we've got a deal to do!