While Knicks president Phil Jackson spent Monday night finalizing a three-team deal that he hopes will make Madison Square Garden relevant again, across the East River, Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo was helping Dallas beat Brooklyn with one of his patented double-doubles.
You know, the one that doesn’t require points.
Jackson has the woeful Knicks going all in on free agency, creating enough cap space to possibly lure two stars to the World’s Most Famous Arena. The main targets are obvious – Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge and Rondo, All-Stars whose contracts expire this summer.
However, the consensus around the league is all three free agents are nothing more than window shopping and staying put. Gasol and Aldridge have spent their entire careers in Memphis and Portland, respectively, and have become franchise cornerstones.
Rondo spent eight-plus seasons in Boston before being dealt to Dallas last month. And if he takes just a minute to realize what a good fit he is with the Mavericks, he won’t be going anywhere, either.
Recently, a Sporting News report claimed the Mavericks sought no assurance from Rondo that he would re-sign with them when making the deal with the Celtics. Instead, the Mavericks would get the “first word” while usual suspects like the Knicks and Lakers also bid for Rondo’s services.
The rumor and speculation is out there. Earlier this season, Rondo and Kobe Bryant were spotted having breakfast together in Boston. And Steve Smith – Rondo’s high school coach – told USA Today that fellow Oak Hill Academy alumnus Carmelo Anthony was previously recruiting Rondo to come to New York.
Despite those relationships, two general managers, two team executives and a scout all told SheridanHoops they believe Rondo will ultimately re-sign with Dallas.
“He’s not going anywhere,” one Eastern Conference GM told SheridanHoops. “I’d be very surprised if he isn’t back.”
“Dallas,” another East GM said. “Money and chance of winning. Plus, no state taxes.”
While the Knicks and Lakers have personal ties to Rondo and tons of cap space, neither team has seriously contended in a while nor a supporting cast that will allow Rondo to excel the way he did with the Celtics and former teammates Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
On the contrary, the Mavericks have a potent starting lineup with players whose various scoring skills fit with Rondo’s playmaking and creativity. The odds on the Mavericks winning the title have dropped to 10-1, according to CarbonSports.ag.
In two weeks in Dallas, Rondo is already throwing alley-oop lobs to Tyson Chandler off picks-and-rolls; finding Dirk Nowitzki for pick-and-pop threes; running the floor with speedster Monta Ellis and finding him for finishes; and splitting defenders with passes to Chandler Parsons cutting along the baseline.
The Mavericks are 7-2 with six straight wins since acquiring Rondo and – unlike the Knicks and Lakers – have to be taken seriously as championship contenders.
“I think it’s a good situation for him,” an East executive told SheridanHoops. “I think they’re going to make one last run at a title with Dirk.”
Rondo has been fortunate to play alongside some of the NBA’s all-time greats throughout his career. He is now teammates with another in Nowitzki, who moved past Moses Malone into seventh place on the all-time scoring list in Monday’s overtime win over the Nets.
“It’s been what you expect when you see the guy on the other team and you finally get to come here and play with a guy that can score the ball in so many ways and create shots for himself,” Rondo said. “It’s pretty special to play with a guy like Dirk.”
Unlike most players who come over in a trade, Rondo has found it easier to adjust to his new team because his niche is to be a playmaker for others.
“I think I’m here to run the show, keep guys happy and just direct traffic out there when coach Carlisle is on the other sidelines,” he said.
With three guys who can carry an offense for stretches in Nowitzki, Ellis and Parsons and a strong, veteran bench, the Mavericks already were a handful for opponents. With Rondo at the controls, the challenge is even more difficult.
“He’s one of the top point guards in the NBA and he’s got a lot of weapons around him,” Nets coach Lionel Hollins said. “He’s a great distributor, he’s a great penetrator, but he also scores, rebounds and he gets steals. He creates havoc on defense, he’s running all over the court stealing the ball and disrupting your offense.”
The one knock against Rondo is that he is a very headstrong individual. While his somewhat standoff-ish attitude certainly helps make him the player that he is, it also led to a handful of confrontations with coach Doc Rivers in Boston. But Dallas coach Rick Carlisle has yet to see that side of his new point guard.
“I’ve really enjoyed it,” said Carlisle, who has been playing Rondo alongside Nowitzki almost exclusively to get him acclimated more quickly. “I really like him as a guy. He’s working real hard to fit in to our team. He’s bringing us some different dimensions that we didn’t have. It’s been a very positive move and he’s going to keep getting better and better as he has more time with our team.”
Carlisle also believes Rondo’s star quality outweighs any personality issues.
“If you can trade for a guy like Rondo I don’t care when it is,” Carlisle said. “I don’t care if it’s in April. You’ve got to take a shot at it.”
With all those factors in mind, the ultimate belief is Rondo and the Mavericks will hammer out a new deal this summer to keep him in Dallas.
“(Dallas) has good team, great organization and (owner Mark) Cuban will pay,” another East executive told SheridanHoops. “Not many other options of good teams with money.”
“Dallas will throw money at him and has a better chance at winning than the other two teams (Knicks and Lakers),” an East scout told SheridanHoops.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have tied a franchise record with 12 straight losses. It is their second double-digit losing streak this season, the first time that has happened in team history. After Monday’s trade, New York is in full tank mode, hoping to add a top prospect like Jahlil Okafor alongside Anthony.
The Lakers have Bryant, sidelined rookie Julius Randle and not much else. They lost a franchise-record 55 games last season and are on pace to break that record this season. They should be in tank mode, if they want to keep their first-round pick.
There are no such problems in Dallas. The Mavericks are a legitimate title contender, and with Rondo at the helm, they could be there for a while.
Michael Scotto is an NBA columnist for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeAScotto.
how stupid are you???? arent you the same person that had lebron going to the knicks in 2010 ???? you have no sports sense whatsoever… money always talks… rondo will be a knick.