The Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets reportedly could still be landing spots for Boston Celtics star Rajon Rondo, if the team decides to trade him. Basketball Insiders' Lang Greene believes Rondo would be a good fit in either Houston or Sacramento, assuming one of the teams is willing to part with enough assets to convince Celtics president Danny Ainge to trade the four-time All-Star.
"Rondo has plenty of friends around the league and guys who would like to play with him," Greene wrote Thursday. "Houston might be a good fit. Or a team looking to become relevant like Sacramento could take a look. So while most teams aren't going to sell the barn to grab him, the man is still an All-Star performer who will put in all of the work needed to win. Let me repeat. Say what you want about Rondo, but the man puts in the work and plays to win. You have to respect that."
Houston's best chance of acquiring Rondo is through free agency this summer. The Kings reportedly discussed a potential with Boston, but the talks stalled because of their unwillingness to part with assets without assurances Rondo would re-sign in the summer.
Grantland's Zach Lowe reported this week the market for Rondo is shrinking, largely because of his age and the surplus of point guards available. Despite the decreasing demand for Rondo, Lowe also believes Houston and Sacramento are the likeliest destinations for the point guard.
"If Boston wants a big haul, it has to hope a potential Rondo suitor feels some unexpected desperation early in the season. Houston is under pressure to win now, and if it starts slowly, (general manager) Daryl Morey might swallow hard and meet Boston in the middle," Lowe wrote Tuesday. "Rondo and James Harden make for an awkward fit, but talent tends to work itself out, and the Rockets are confident they can re-sign starts once they get them.
"Sacramento has outsize expectations after Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins won gold with Team USA, and any owner with outsize expectations is an explosive wild card. ... Depending on what happens with Rudy Gay, a Rondo pal, the Kings might not have enough cap space to chase Rondo in free agency - building an urgency to trade for him now."
Publically, both Boston and Rondo are saying all the right things. Assuming it's not just talk, Rondo appears headed to a long-term contract with Boston in the summer.
