Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tells Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News that this week’s Rajon Rondo deal will be the team’s last major move for a while. “That’s the plan,” Cuban said, although with Rondo headed for free agency this summer and backcourt mate Monta Ellis eligible to opt out of his contract, more changes may be necessary. Coach Rick Carlisle expects Rondo to fit in right away. “He’s going to do great,” Carlisle said. “He’s really smart, picks things up quickly, so I don’t see a big adjustment period. He’s just got to get ready to compete with our guys.”
There’s more fallout from the Rondo trade:
- The Mavericks are indeed confident they can reach a long-term deal to keep Rondo in Dallas, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. “We wouldn’t give up picks if we didn’t think it was long term,” Cuban said. “We’re past the days of rent-a-player. We want him to be here for a long time.” The Mavericks owner plans to spend the rest of the season trying to convince his new guard that Dallas is the best spot for his basketball future.
- Defense and rebounding are the keys to Rondo’s transition to the Mavericks, opines Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. He notes that Rondo made the NBA’s All-Defensive Team four years in a row, but the last time was the 2011/12 season and his reputation in that area has slipped. MacMahon also argues that Rondo isn’t a perfect fit for Dallas’ league-best offense and that his poor three-point shooting will present spacing challenges.
- New Celtic Brandan Wright may have to fight harder for playing time in Boston than he did in Dallas, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Although the 10-14 Celtics are less talented than the 19-8 Mavericks, one area where they have an advantage is frontcourt depth. “It’s hard to choose which of the four frontcourt players to keep in because they’re all being very productive,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. His current four-man rotation consists of Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller, Kelly Olynyk and Brandon Bass. Wright is in the final season of a two-year, $10MM deal.