As expected, marquee point guard Rajon Rondo has signed up with the Sacramento Kings.
Rumors about Rondo, 29, heading over to Sacramento were already widespread when he finally agreed to join the club by signing a one-year deal worth $10 million.
The veteran playmaker is coming of a tumultuous season with the Dallas Mavericks, a forgettable one highlighted by an unforgettable clash with Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle. From that moment on, it was apparent that Rondo was leaving Dallas, and it didn't take long for him to find a new home.
The first team that Rondo was linked to was actually the Los Angeles Lakers, thanks mainly to that celebrated meeting with Kobe Bryant. However, the Lakers mentioned that it would all depend on his asking price. A high price will likely hinder such a signing.
The eventual answer came when the Lakers opted to draft D'Angelo Russell, a young and promising point guard, practically shutting the door for Rondo to play in Hollywood.
Rondo faces a shaky Sacramento franchise highlighted by the celebrated rift between head coach George Karl and center DeMarcus Cousins. Could that celebrated disagreement Rondo had with Carlisle happen to him and Karl? The Kings mentor is known to be strict, and this could be a potential source of problems.
All that aside, Rondo answers the need of the Kings for a leader who can create plays and situations at game time. Rondo has proven that when he was with the Boston Celtics, so it will be interesting to see how his playmaking can help the Kings in the coming season.
Other than that, it will be interesting to see how he jells with Cousins, another temperamental player, but hopefully, both can blend in well and translate that into victories.
Though his deal is only short-term, a year could determine if Rondo is indeed fit for Sacramento. Besides, if he does prove to be valuable, expect team owner Vivek Ranadive to waste no time offering him a longer and more lucrative contract. If not, however, at least the Kings and Rondo used up just one year to try to work things out.
