Rajon Rondo’s days with the Dallas Mavericks appear to be over.
Rondo was benched after playing just 10 minutes following a substandard effort Tuesday night against the Houston Rockets and left without speaking to the media. The Mavs later said Wednesday that Rondo is out indefinitely with a back injury, which seems like their polite way of saying “we don’t want him back.”
Heck, head coach Rick Carlisle said as much on Wednesday:
Do you expect Rajon Rondo to ever wear a Mavericks uniform again? "No, I don't," Rick Carlisle said.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 22, 2015
Rondo was acquired by the Mavs in December and had some clashes with Carlisle, but Dallas managed to finish 50-32 and snag the seventh spot in the playoffs. Though Rondo’s shooting percentages are up, his assists and steals are down from his usual amount, and it’s now clear he just is not working out for the team.
Rondo had major conflicts with coaches and teammates in Boston and now Dallas. Even Danny Ainge questioned whether Rondo is good enough to act the way he does.
Will a team be stupid enough to risk signing him to a max deal this offseason? The answer is probably yes.
