Rajon Rondo‘s stock plummeted last season after his trade to Dallas didn’t turn out well for either party, but according to a report by Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, Rondo’s performance thus far for Sacramento has edged his value back into maximum-salary territory. The point guard accepted a one-year, $9.5MM deal from the Kings this past summer, a figure roughly $10MM less than the $19.689MM maximum salary for which he was eligible this season. His projected maximum salary for next season, when he’ll be a 10-year veteran, is $29.3MM.
The Kings are the only team able to ink Rondo for more than four years, and he said earlier this week that he finds the team a fit and that playing with his new teammates has helped his game. He also appears to have formed a strong bond with center DeMarcus Cousins, who told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports recently that he’ll do whatever he can to keep Rondo in Sacramento for the long-term.
So here’s the topic for today: Should the Kings look to re-sign Rajon Rondo, and is he worth a maximum salary deal?
Rondo has been a triple-double machine thus far this season, turning back the clock and channeling his prime years with the Celtics. The 29-year-old’s game is certainly not without its flaws, namely his defense and outside shooting. But in the right environment and with the proper teammates surrounding him, Rondo can be quite an effective floor general. The salary cap is set to increase dramatically next season, which means that a number of players will likely sign deals that would have turned heads if they had been agreed upon this past offseason, and Rondo could certainly be one who falls into that category.
But what say you? Is Rondo remaining in Sacramento past this season a good fit for both the player and the team? If so, then should the Kings pony up whatever it takes to keep in in the fold? Or are you on the other side of the fence and believe that Sacramento would be better served to draw the line salary-wise, and allow Rondo to depart if he receives an outlandish contract offer? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
He’ll be signed before this season for sure. There are so many point guards out there and the kings are a perfect fit so I don’t see him going anywhere
Not a great looking PG market this coming summer. Conley is the only other career starter that will be on the market, so that may bump up Rondo’s next contract. I don’t know if you want to commit max dollars to a player with such obvious holes in his game. Also, given what we’ve heard about his temperament, I wouldn’t want to make him the highest paid player on my team. I do like his fit with the Kings, particularly Karl (as long as he’s coaching the team), so as a basketball fan, I’d like to see them work something out.
I think Rondo’s defense is an asset. He’s a four-time All-Defensive Team selection, and while the last time that happened was in 2012, he’s only had one season when he was a minus defender, according to Basketball-Reference: link to basketball-reference.com::none
That was his abbreviated 30-game season right after he came back from injury. ESPN’s Real Plus Minus shows him as the seventh-best defensive point guard in the NBA, and one of only eight plus defenders at the position leaguewide: link to espn.go.com