The only reason Rondo could not meet with the Kings immediately was because he was traveling.
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Rondo is coming off a year in which he averaged 8.9 points and 7.9 assists, shooting 40.3 percent from the field. A rift between Rondo and Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle effectively ended his tenure with the Mavericks, who acquired him from the Celtics in a trade in December.
The Kings can offer a deal starting in the $10 million range and would do so on the hope that Rondo can return to the form of three seasons ago, when he was an All-Star and led the league in assists. While it appears that Rondo’s options have dwindled, the source said there are, “a few other situations,” that could yet yield a deal for Rondo. For now, though, the Kings are the focus.
Celtics stay low-key
Celtics president Danny Ainge had tamped down the expectations of fans heading into the league’s free agency period, and while Boston did not manage to get involved with the likes of Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge or DeAndre Jordan, the Celtics did solidify their depth with two signings on Wednesday. They kept defensive-minded small forward Jonas Jerebko on a two-year, $10 million contract, and added big man Amir Johnson from Toronto on a two-year, $24 million deal.
Johnson was a target for the Celtics all along, once it became clear that a return to Toronto had been ruled out. Johnson averaged 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Raptors last year, and has shown a fledgling 3-point game. He only attempted 46 3s last season, but made 19 of them (41.3 percent).
There’s still cap space available, and the moves don’t entirely remove the Celtics from a pursuit of bigger targets, especially Magic forward Tobias Harris. Johnson gives Boston a crowded slate of big men, with Tyler Zeller, Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger also on hand, as well as Jordan Mickey, a second-round pick from this year’s draft. Harris ability to play both small forward and power forward is a bonus.
Warriors not panicking
The Warriors are taking the breakdown of negotiations with forward Draymond Green in stride, according to a source with knowledge of the talks. Green remains a restricted free agent, after all, which means that no matter what offer he receives from an outside team, the Warriors can — and will — match it. Still, a deal was expected to come together quickly, before Green met with other teams.
Instead, the Warriors have focused on recruiting another shooter to come off the bench. While Golden State had the deepest team in the league last season, coach Steve Kerr felt that the one area the bench needed improvement was shooting. Andre Iguodala was the only bench player to average more than two 3-point attempts per game, and he made only 34.9 percent last year. Marco Bellinelli remains their top target.
Good for Green
If you thought the signing of Danny Green by the Spurs to a four-year, $45 million deal was a surprise, you were not alone. Even Green was not quite sure how things would play out.
Last night, a source told Sporting News, Green was in serious conversations with both Dallas and Detroit, and each were offering contracts in the $11 million per year range, like the Spurs. But this morning, the Spurs were aggressive in their approach to Green, and ultimately, the chance to compete for a championship and his appreciation for the guidance Gregg Popovich had given to his career proved to be the difference for Green.
