Report: Sacramento Kings Sign Rajon Rondo
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento Kings have signed free agent Rajon Rondo, Yahoo Sports reported on Friday.
The deal is reportedly for 1 year and $$9.5 million.
Rondo played 68 games last season split between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics traded Rondo in December during his ninth season with the team.
The four-time All-Star had long been floated in trade talks before last season. He's battled injuries in recent seasons, including plantar fasciitis and a torn ACL, and a broken finger.
His time with the Mavericks was short, but eventful. On Jan. 31, he suffered a broken nose and an orbital bone fracture when his teammate inadvertently kneed him in the face. In February, he was suspended for a game after a heated exchange with his coach. His season ended with a back injury against the Houston Rockets in the first-round of the playoffs.
Rondo wasn't the only free-agent signing for the Kings on Friday. Former San Antonio Spur Marco Belinelli agreed to a 3-year deal worth $19 million.
The Kings have aimed to make a splash this offseason, starting with a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to clear cap space earlier this week that sent last year's first-round pick Nik Stauskas east with Carl Landry and the long-tenured Jason Thompson.
How big of a splash they'll make has been up in the air since that trade. The Kings targeted the Portland Trail Blazers' Wes Matthews with a 4-year $64 million deal, but Matthews reportedly declined on Thursday after a visit to Sacramento and meeting with players. He agreed to a deal with the Mavericks reportedly for 4 years and $57 million.
Whether the Kings were a prime destination for free agents was cast in doubt just before the NBA Draft. Numerous conflicting reports had anything from All-Star DeMarcus Cousins heading to Los Angeles, to George Karl out as head coach after only four months on the job.
With a new stadium opening less than 16 months away, the Kings are looking for stability and a product to draw fans after three consecutive seasons under 30 wins.
It looked like last year would be the start of that process. The team was off to its best start in years when Cousins came down with viral meningitis. While he was sidelined, the team struggled and head coach Mike Malone was fired. Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin was brought in to lead the team in the interim, but was relieved of his position after going 7-21, despite having told Corbin his job was safe in late December.
Karl was brought in to relieve Corbin and the team limped to an 11-19 record under Karl to finish 29-53.
After the season, team adviser Chris Mullin left for a coaching job with St. John's University.
General manager Pete D'Alessandro left the team on June 10 for a front office job with the Denver Nuggets. Five days later, Malone was hired as the Nuggets' head coach.
We'll update this story as we have more information.
