New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson is actively looking to upgrade his point guard rotation. He can already cross Rajon Rondo off the list, as the current Sacramento Kings starting point guard has stated that he is a bad fit with the Triangle Offense that head coach Derek Fisher has the Knicks running, according to ESPN.
After coming off a disastrous stint with the Dallas Mavericks, Rajon Rondo found himself with very few opportunities in the NBA. Upon knowing that he needed to rebuild his reputation, the former Kentucky Wildcats star settled on a one year deal with the Sacramento Kings, who were not willing to give him a long term deal because they did not want to lock themselves down to another player that was a bad fit for their franchise.
Rajon Rondo forged a quick bond with Sacramento Kings center and franchise player DeMarcus Cousins, a fellow former Kentucky Wildcats star. Their off court friendship has translated into quick chemistry on the court. Despite not really getting along with Kings head coach George Karl all that well, Rondo had found himself a comfortable spot and has used that to resurrect his once promising career in the NBA.
Since the salary cap is expected to rise significantly after this season, it would be a wise move for Rajon Rondo to explore his options around the NBA, especially since his reputation has been rebuilt. Some general manager out there might be willing to pay him more than what the Sacramento Kings might be willing to pay. Kings general manager Vlade Divac might also decide to trade DeMarcus Cousins and rebuild, so Rondo would be wise to make sure that he’s not left out in the cold.
After years of being in salary cap hell, the New York Knicks are now in a position to where they can lure some of the top free agents in the NBA, especially since Carmelo Anthony has matured and Kristaps Porzingis arrived on the scene. One would expect that Rajon Rondo would be on their list because he’s one of the best point guards available in free agency, even if Phil Jackson knows that the former Boston Celtics star would be a bad scheme fit for the Knicks.
In many ways, Rajon Rondo is right about being a poor fit for the New York Knicks and the Triangle Offense. Derek Fisher does not require his point guards to create opportunities for teammates, which is something that made Rondo one of the top stars in the NBA. Instead, Fisher requires that his guards be able to feed the post and know where to cut so that they can be in a good position to shoot jumpers, which happens to be a weakness for Rondo.
The hard part for Rajon Rondo and his agent is that they’re going to need to find an NBA team whose head coach is willing to design the entire offensive scheme around the 6’1″, 186 pound veteran. He needs to be able to freelance with the ball and create opportunities for his teammates. Rondo cannot simply be thrown into a team based system such as the ones that are ran by Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer and San Antonio Spurs head coach Greg Poppovich.
One potential landing spot for Rajon Rondo might be the Utah Jazz, a team that doesn’t really have a true NBA level superstar. Gordon Hayward is a good player, but he cannot be viewed in the same light as Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, LeBron James or Anthony Davis. The Jazz also aren’t overly reliant on the offensive scheme, so head coach Quin Snyder might be more willing to allow Rondo to create for his teammates.
[Featured Photo by Kevin C Cox/Getty Images]