GuyClinch wrote:I think if that were the case, he would have taken the 3/45m extension and not assumed the risk of injury this year just to get a guaranteed 4th season.
This. Rondo is holding out for more the 15 million...assuming its a sign and trade it will be like 17 million +4.5% raise each year.
So 17.6 + 18.5 + 19.3 + 20.1 = 4 years 75 million. So he presumably was already offered somewhat less the max money and rejected it. The question really is can Rondo come in and play well enough to get a trade so he can get paid more then S and T max..
That's going to be unlikely given his hand injury I think. My issue with Rondo has always been this - he is good but overrated. He will like a lot of second tier stars command max contract money but not move a team like a Lebron would.
The NBA is in a really tough place now. The CBA makes it more about the players wishes rather then the teams management.. Because winning teams get so much more out of their 'max' players. Lebron is about twice the player Rondo is in terms of value..but he will cost the same.
The bolded is the real issue. By creating a max contract cap, you artificially suppress the value of true superstars like Lebron, Durant, and in the future, Anthony Davis. On a truly unrestricted open market, Lebron could/would probably make 2x or more what he does, but the cap on max deals suppresses their value on the market. It's not that Rondo is overpaid - in fact, when a guy like Jodie Meeks gets $6M or Jordan Hill gets $5M, paying $15-18M/year for Rondo doesn't seem that off-market (assuming he bounces back to his pre-injury self).
This is why teams tank - the only way a team that is not a "destination" market for free agents can acquirea true superstar is via the draft.

















