Rajon Rondo has seen a lot in his NBA career, but the point guard said Monday that this season with the Sacramento Kings was something completely new. Sacramento coach George Karl and franchise player DeMarcus Cousins feuded last summer when Karl reportedly tried to get Cousins traded, and the situation was never stable throughout the season. On ESPN's The Jump with Rachel Nichols, Rondo said the Kings "didn't sacrifice enough for one another."
From ESPN:
"There were too many distractions on and off the court. The organization as a whole, I don't think was together completely. I think as a team you have to want the best for the next man beside you, and that wasn't the case with the Sacramento Kings," he said.
Of Cousins' relationship with former Kings coach George Karl and his staff, Rondo said there was "a lot of tension at first."
"Too much tension. I've never witnessed or experienced a thing like that in my 10-year career," he said.
This does not sound like a man who wants to return to the Kings on a long-term contract. They fired Karl at the end of the season, though, and replaced him with former Memphis Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger. Rondo has raved about Cousins, repeatedly calling him the best big man in the league. Is re-signing in Sacramento even a possibility? More from ESPN:
Rondo said he would "love to continue to play with" Cousins, but for that to happen, he and the Kings need to "come together and figure out if we can work, but if not, I'm always in, I'm open. I'm open this summer and I look forward to having a great career."
As for his free-agent options this summer, Rondo said, "I want to see myself in a situation where guys want to grow, guys want to get better. I don't want to be the hardest-working guy in the gym."
Asked if he felt that way with the Kings, he said, "at times I did."
Rondo is hardly the first to go on the record saying that Sacramento was a mess last year, and the franchise is now trying to clean up its reputation. This is not anything new. The interesting thing here is what it might mean for Rondo's free agency. He is 30 years old and likely won't want to waste time on a losing team if he has other options.
It's unclear, though, how many teams will go after Rondo this summer, and even if the Kings will be one of them. If they are, then they will surely have to convince him that the culture will change, the roster will be more balanced and the coaching staff, front office and players will be on similar pages. They have a lot of work to do.
