Reports: Knicks Reach Out To Rajon Rondo
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Could the Knicks find their starting point guard in Chicago yet again?
A year after acquiring Derrick Rose from the Bulls in a trade, New York is interested in signing free agent Rajon Rondo, according to multiple reports. No meeting has yet been scheduled between the team and free agent.
Knicks have not set up a meeting with Rajon Rondo, according to a source.
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) July 5, 2017
Knicks have reached out about Rajon Rondo, but no meeting has been arranged as of yet, source says.
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) July 5, 2017
In 69 games last season, Rondo averaged 7.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds for the Bulls. He broke his thumb in Game 2 of Chicago's first-round playoff series against the Celtics, an injury that some analysts have suggested might have cost the Bulls the series. Chicago won the first two games before falling in six.
MORE: NBA Free Agency Tracker
The Bulls released Rondo on Friday.
A four-time All-Star, Rondo spent the first eight-plus seasons of his career in Boston, winning an NBA title with the Celtics in 2008. He has since bounced around the league, from Dallas to Sacramento to Chicago.
The Knicks had reportedly been interested in point guards Jeff Teague, Jrue Holiday, George Hill and Michael Carter-Williams, but all four were quickly snatched up after free agency opened Saturday. Teague signed with Minnesota, Holiday re-upped with New Orleans, Hill landed in Sacramento and Carter-Williams went to Charlotte.
New York is looking for a veteran point guard who can start immediately but also help groom first-round draft pick Frank Ntilikina, who is 18 years old.
MORE: Report: Knicks Among At Least 3 Teams Showing Interest In Dion Waiters
Rondo also has drawn interest from the Lakers, for whom he'd serve, too, as a mentor to a first-round pick -- Lonzo Ball.
There have been conflicting reports about the Knicks' interest in re-signing Rose, who was reportedly meeting with the Clippers on Wednesday.
Another possibility for the Knicks is Shelvin Mack, who spent the past year and a half with the Utah Jazz. New York has expressed interest in the 27-year-old, according to multiple reports.
Last season, Mack played in 55 games, but playing behind Hill, he started just nine. Mack averaged 7.8 points, 2.8 assists and 2.3 rebounds.