Rajon Rondo to Kings: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction
Rondo is heading to the Sacramento Kings after agreeing to a one-year, $9.5 million deal on Friday, per ESPN's Marc Stein.
The Kings announced Rondo officially signed his deal on July 13.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported Rondo asked for the Kings to add a shooter, which led to the team signing veteran free agent Marco Belinelli. Spears also noted Rudy Gay played a major role in luring Rondo to sign with Sacramento.
Gay took to Instagram to welcome his new teammate as well:
Quite simply, what the future holds for Rondo is highly uncertain at this point. Once a crucial distributor for the Boston Celtics offense, his last couple of seasons have been derailed by injuries and, following his move to Dallas before the trade deadline last campaign, not getting on the same page with head coach Rick Carlisle.
The 29-year-old point guard was a virtual lock for a double-double most nights during his peak with the Celtics. His distribution ability was among the best in the league, he was a solid secondary scorer and he also chipped in a handful of rebounds per game.
Then he suffered an ACL injury midway through the 2012-13 campaign. It cost him about a year of action, covering the end of the season and the beginning of the next one. He's never seemed to rediscover top form since his return.
A career 47 percent shooter from the field, that number dipped to near 40 percent over his last two seasons in Boston. It increased back toward 44 percent after the trade to the but he still wasn't nearly as effective.
All told, his player efficiency rating of 13.5 last season was the lowest mark since his rookie year with the Celtics, according to Basketball-Reference.com. That's certainly not the type of season a player wants to have while working toward a new contract.
His attitude is also a question mark. As mentioned, Rondo didn't fit well with Carlisle following his midseason move, and their falling out caused the season to end on a sour note. After Game 2 of the ' first-round playoff series with the Houston Rockets, the head coach made the situation crystal clear, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com noted:
The Rockets eliminated Dallas in five games, with Rondo sitting out the last three.
The silver lining for Rondo is the chance to get a fresh start. He should welcome the opportunity to put a stretch of difficult seasons in the rearview mirror.
The knee injury seemingly sapped some of his quickness. It's impacted his ability to get into the paint and finish among the big bodies down low. He will have to make a concerted effort to feel comfortable again in those situations.
However, there is still some upside to the signing. Rondo hasn't lost his vision or passing prowess, meaning in the right environment, he could still lead an offense effectively.
Now, whether Rondo can rediscover his former magic becomes the question once again.
