NBA Free Agents & Basketball News: Teams Rajon Rondo Could Win NBA Title With If He Leaves Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics' recent glory days appear to be behind them, and as the team looks to rebuild, it's possible the decorated franchise may have to move on without their biggest star in Rajon Rondo.
It appears Rondo, the Celtics' four-time NBA All-Star who led the team to two NBA Finals appearances in three years, will likely be suiting up for the Celtics when they open the season Oct. 29 at the TD Garden against the Brooklyn Nets. The more intriguing question, however, is whether or not Rondo will remain with the Celtics beyond the end of this coming season.
Ever since the era of "The Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen came to an end, rumors of Rondo being the next and last major piece to go from the Celtics team that won the 2008 NBA championship and made the NBA Finals twice to end the last decade. While Rondo and his agent have been publicly downplaying the rumors that he is thinking about leaving the team, we can be almost assured that unless Rondo signs an extension before the All-Star break next season, the "Rondo-Watch" will continue well into the start of next summer.
Really, we can't blame anyone for being interested in where Rondo goes. The athletic, chippy point guard has established himself as one of the best floor generals in the league. He's been playoff-tested, he has a championship pedigree, he's been among the top assist leaders in the NBA for years, and his dynamic, court-savvy style of play not only makes him dangerous on offense, but makes the players around him better as well. Granted, there may still be questions on how viable a long-term investment on Rondo would be following his recovery from ACL surgery on his right knee, but when you have a player -- a star -- as gifted as Rondo on the court and on offense, it's a risk that teams would be foolish not to take.
But if Rondo does decide to leave Boston, the place where he went from unknown to NBA champion and established star, where would he go? Which team would make the best fit for him? Latin Post takes a look at some potential landing spots for Rondo to go in free agency:
New York Knicks
Despite completely imploding last season and with dim prospects this season, the Knicks managed to convince Carmelo Anthony to stay in The Big Apple. Now, the Knicks are in a position where they have to make good on their promise to return to being an NBA title contender. Adding in Rondo would be a great place to start. No offense to new point guard Jose Calderon, who has veteran chops and solid passing skills, but Rondo is... well, Rondo. It doesn't get much better than a Top 5 point guard who has been to The Promised Land of the NBA Finals and drunk from the Holy Grail of the NBA title. Rondo's savvy playmaking skills would have an immediate impact on the Knicks offense the way that Jason Kidd's influence helped turn the team into Atlantic Division champions. And if an aging Kidd could do that for them, there's no telling what an equally intelligent, younger point guard in his prime can do. But to attract Rondo, the Knicks will have to, at the very least, make the playoffs again. Rondo wants to compete for a title, so a poor season will be a hard sell. But a playoff-worthy season and the opportunity to play with Melo and max money would be hard to Rondo to resist.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs are back. There's no denying that. Adding the king of basketball, LeBron James, and All-Star Kevin Love to go with star guard Kyrie Irving will do that to a team. With all those expectations, nothing less than Cleveland's first-ever NBA championship will quell the critics. By his own admission, LeBron has stated when he came back home that the Cavs weren't ready to win the title immediately, though that was before they landed Love via trade. Experience would go a long way towards helping them get there.
Enter Rondo.
Taking the helm as floor general for the Celtics, Rondo has been engaged in many playoff wars with James, both in Cleveland and in Miami. At age 28, Rondo has been more battle-tested than many of his point guard peers in the NBA, a hardened, crafty veteran forged in the crucible of the Celtics' many world title campaigns since his 2008-09 debut. A sign-and-trade in the offseason shipping Rondo to Cleveland in exchange for Irving would work wonders for both teams -- that is, if Rondo is willing to restructure his deal in order to be part of a winner again. For the Celtics, it would mean getting Irving, a young, talented star, to replace Rondo so that they can easily market as the new face of the franchise. For the Cavs and Rondo, it's about hooking up one of the game's most elite point guards with the new "It" team for a chance to hoist NBA championship gold in June. Will it happen? We'll have to wait and see.
Houston Rockets
Speaking of teams on the rise, the Rockets have been steadily improving each year since they revamped their roster during the 2012 offseason. The Rockets added All-Stars James Harden and Dwight Howard over the last two seasons, the two turning the once-struggling Houston franchise into a Western Conference powerhouse that drew the fourth seed in the Western playoffs last spring. Since parting ways with Jeremy Lin's pricey contract, the point guard job is firmly Patrick Beverley's. But while Beverley is young and defensively capable, he's no Rondo. The Rockets' high-octane offense need a smart ball distributor to run the floor--one that has less ball-oriented tendencies than Harden-to get the ball moving to the entire team. Rondo led the league in the 2012-13 season with 11.1 assists before his season-ending ACL injury, so there's few players more qualified to run the No.2 highest-scoring offense in the NBA last season (107.7 points) than Rondo. And this young Houston squad has plenty of cash to burn for one more max free agent; might as well add one of the game's best and most experienced point guards to make it official.
Los Angeles Lakers
Steve Nash is past his prime and reportedly in his last season in the NBA, while Jeremy Lin and his expiring contract may or may not be part of the Lakers after next season. Translation? There's definitely room for another point guard to be introduced into the mix out in Los Angeles. The Lakers aren't for everyone, but Rondo is tough enough to be able to handle the media attention just fine. Plus, the idea of playing with the legendary Kobe Bryant to form what could be the most fearsome backcourt in the NBA is surely an option that Rondo would have to at least consider. The Lakers have resources, history, a future Hall of Famer and opportunity at their disposal, and they're always looking for another ring. If you're a star player in the league like Rondo, there's not much more you could ask for. With the right offer, don't be surprised to see the stud point guard sporting purple and gold by next summer.
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