One thing is indisputable: it will be great theater for the common fan.
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Signing a one-year deal with the Sacramento is viewed by most as a chance for Rondo to prove himself once again and fix his image in the league. The seven-year veteran made $2.8 million last season and was seeking more money in free agency. He has struggled to regain that All-Star form after suffering a partially torn ACL in his right knee. But Rondo’s implosion during the Dallas Mavericks’ first-round playoff implosion against the Houston Rockets cost him a lot of potential salary in free agency. Kings coach George Karl is at the center of it all, with very few folks around the National Basteball Association convinced he’ll be able to make this all work. I’m trying to think of an National Basteball Association coach who’s less agreeable than Karl, and I’m drawing a blank. But coach Doc Rivers couldn’t persuade the Texas native to stick with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the franchise that drafted him seven years ago. It’s a select group. If the Kings can continue find more reliable players like Belinelli, the offseason can turn out to be your classic “Ugly Duckling to handsome Swan” scenario. The Kings have been rumored to be interested in the point guard for quite some time.
Even if we exclude the potential for a locker room mess with DeMarcus Cousins, Rondo hasn’t played consistently helpful ball in years.
Whether the Kings were a prime destination for free agents was cast in doubt just before the National Basteball Association Draft. It’s a good deal for Rondo because he can help increase his value, and it’s also a good deal for a Kings’ front office, who doesn’t want to get another signing wrong.
For now, this team still kind of feels like a collection of random parts.
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Regardless of the imminent decline of some his geriatric teammates, it seemed pretty safe to assume that Rondo, still in his mid-twenties, could be a centerpiece on a championship caliber team while raking in exorbitant piles of cash.
