Carlisle praises Rondo: 'He's a max player next year'
By signing a one-year, $10-million contract with the Sacramento Kings over the offseason, four-time All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo took a flier on himself to have a rebound campaign after a dismal stay with the Dallas Mavericks.
The 29-year-old is making the most of his new lease on life with the Kings, leading the NBA in triple-doubles with four in 18 games as he puts himself in a greater position to earn a max-level contract when he hits the open market as an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle - who worked with Rondo for a tumultuous 46-game stretch last season - had nothing but kind words for his former floor general when asked about Rondo's play to begin the new season:
Rick Carlisle on Rajon Rondo: "He's a max player next year. Someone's going to have to back up the truck to get him."
— Tim Cato (@tim_cato) November 29, 2015
The Mavericks-Rondo relationship was a disaster from the get-go after the Kentucky alumnus was acquired by the franchise in a five-player deal on Dec. 18, 2014. A broken orbital bone following an inadvertent knee to the face cost Rondo six games, while a confrontation with Carlisle not only got him benched, but also suspended for a game due to "conduct detrimental to the team."
Rondo didn't factor into the Mavericks' postseason plans after seemingly self-destructing during Game 2 of the opening round matchup with the Houston Rockets, picking up two quick fouls early in the second half, as well as a technical foul after shoving James Harden.
Carlisle wishes the Mavericks wouldn't have pulled the trigger on landing Rondo in the first place.
"Listen, we all did everything we could to make it work. It was challenging," Carlisle said Sunday, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "Going back in time, it's a deal we should have shied away from, for the sake of us and for the sake of him. It's a deal we shouldn't have made."
Rondo averaged 9.3 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds on 43.6 percent shooting for the Mavericks. Those numbers have since jumped to 12.4 points, a league-high 11 assists, and 7.3 rebounds through 18 games with the Kings in a much larger role.
The Kings and Mavericks will square off at Sleep Train Arena on Monday night.