Rajon Rondo Suspended; Leaving Mavs for Lakers?

During the Dallas Mavericks' game against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, February 24, point guard Rajon Rondo and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle had a heated argument, resulting in Rondo getting a one-game suspension.

ESPN reported that the shouting match happened during third quarter with 8:10 left due to play-calling issues. Rondo allegedly ignored a play called by Carlisle while bringing the ball from the backcourt. Carlisle got angry and called a timeout then went on the floor to shout at Rondo. Rondo answered by shouting back at his coach. The two had a heated exchange causing assistant coach Jamahl Mosley to move between the two.

Although Dallas ended up winning the game 99-92 at home, the two reportedly continued their dispute in the locker room after. Later, the team announced two hours before their game the next day that Rondo was suspended.

Carlisle said that the suspension was an "organizational decision" based on a report by NBA.com.

Carlisle said before Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks in the same ESPN report, "The events of last night are now in the past, and we've got to move forward. I need to say this very clearly: He is an extremely important part of our team. Our efforts to get to the highest possible level largely hinge on him playing and playing well with him. He needs to play well with us, and we need to play well with him. It's a two-way street."

The coach added, "The incident last night was born in large part out of poor communication between him and I. That's on both of us. We had a long talk about the situation today, and we both agreed that we need to communicate more frequently. We need to work on the solution for making his stint as a Dallas Maverick the most successful one possible. We're looking at 23 games here. Right now, this is a critical time for us."

NBC Sports reported that the dispute stirred talks that Rondo might be bound for the Lakers. The Mavs might not extend his contract when the current NBA season ends and Rondo might also forego a five-year deal with the Mavs to settle for a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, a team he truly wishes to play with, considering his solid relationship with Kobe Bryant.

Bryant himself was very vocal that he will continue to recruit Rondo until he signs. The Lakers also have a lot of salary cap space to work with and easily acquire the point guard. So far, Rondo coming to Dallas did not render the results that either Rondo or the Mavericks expected.