Rajon Rondo is set to hit the free agent market with Goran Dragic his summer and the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, LA Lakers and Houston Rockets all could be potential landing spots for the point guards and this comes as the NBA draft is just days away and that has the trade rumor mill splining about potential deals that could affect free agency.
Rondo is going to be targeted by numerous teams in free agency and one to watch is the Sacramento Kings. The Lakers, Rockets and Knicks all are reportedly going to go after Rondo and/or Dragic this summer, but the Kings also could be in the mix for both players. The Kings have shown interested in Rondo and Dragic around the trade deadline over the past two years, but no deals ever came close to happening.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Kings are currently exploring a deal with DeMarcus Cousins and they also are "pursuing trade scenarios" for Rudy Gay, as the team wants to clear cap space to try and sign Rajon Rondo. Wojnarowski reports on a few of the angles from the Kings point of view, as they are currently shopping Cousins in the hope of getting some value, but if the return isn't right, the team likely will push a deal with Gay.
Wojnarowski writes that the team doesn't want to be in rebuilding mode and they may pursues deals to bring in veteran talent. If the team keeps Cousins, they could look at trades with Gay and other players on the roster to help bring in veterans and sign free agents. Wojnarowski adds that there is "mutual interest" between Rondo and the Kings and that could lead to Sacramento pursuing him in free agency. Wojnarowski writes that Rondo is "intrigued" about the potential of signing a lucrative, one year deal with the team to help "rebuild his league-wide value" after his bad run with the Dallas Mavericks.
This could be a smart direction for Rondo to go in, as his value is down right now after his trade to the Mavericks. Rondo did not look good with the team during his short stint and he likely will not get any max offers following his performance in Dallas. By signing a short deal and hitting the market again, Rondo could try and build things back up before signing a multiyear deal next summer.
Dragic remains an option for teams on the market, as he has opted out of his contract with the Miami Heat, using his player option to do it. That move was an expected one, but with reports that Miami is planning to offer Dragic below the max money on the market, there is a chance he could consider leaving South Beach in free agency. Dragic said that the extra year Miami can offer is a big deal for him as he considers his next move, but if they offer below the max money, Dragic could be open to other offers.
The Kings are in the middle of the rumor mill right now with Cousins rumored to be a main trade target. The team reportedly is considering a three team deal with the Lakers and Magic that would include Cousins as the centerpiece. If Cousins doesn't move, Gay could be traded.
