Report: Rajon Rondo 'Extremely Unlikely' To Remain With Mavericks After This Season
BOSTON (CBS) -- When the Dallas Mavericks sent three players, two draft picks and one trade exception to Boston in exchange for point guard Rajon Rondo, they did so with championship visions dancing in their heads -- perhaps the start of a long relationship between Dallas and Rondo.
Instead, just two months later, they got an on-court blow-up between Rondo and head coach Rick Carlisle. And partly as a result, the Mavericks may not be knowing Rondo for as long as they initially hoped.
ESPN's Tim McMahon reported that the shouting match between Rondo and Carlisle this week stemmed from each man believing he ought to be in charge of calling plays. Whether the point guard and the coach can reconcile their differences and put together a postseason run this spring is unknown, but McMahon notes that once this season ends, it's likely that Rondo's time as a Maverick will as well.
"The reality is Rondo's run with the Mavs is extremely unlikely to extend past this season," McMahon wrote.
The on-court incident was apparently just the appetizer, as McMahon reported that an "even more explosive" meeting behind closed doors took place on Tuesday. As a result, the Mavericks suspended Rondo for one game.
"We need to work on the solution for making his stint as a Dallas Maverick the most successful one possible," Carlisle said. "We're looking at 23 games here. Right now, this is a critical time for us."
In 25 games with Dallas, Rondo is averaging 9 points, 6.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, all down from his career averages of 10.9 points, 8.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. The Mavericks are 20-13 since acquiring Rondon, sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference.