Dallas Mavs Ex Rajon Rondo Retires from NBA: Remembering The 'Dwight Powell' Trade

Rajon Rondo has officially retired from the NBA, and he will always be remembered by Dallas Mavericks fans as the guy who wasn't able to get along with form head coach Rick Carlisle, resulting in a failed trade.

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According to multiple reports, 16-year veteran point guard Rajon Rondo is officially retiring from the NBA after not having played in the league since the 2021-22 season. The two-time champion with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers finished his career with averages of 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.9 assists while being named an All-Star four times and an All-Defensive player four times as well.

The Dallas Mavericks were one of the nine teams Rondo played for during his career, but don't expect them to make any heartfelt farewell posts about him on social media anytime soon.

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During the 2014-15 season, the Mavs had the best offense in the NBA with a starting lineup that featured Jameer Nelson, Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler. Dallas was 19-8 and occupied the No. 3 seed in the West when it decided to swing a trade for Rondo due to the team's concerning defensive issues.

On the surface, you'd think things went well considering the Mavs finished the season 50-32, but Rondo butting heads with former head coach Rick Carlisle led to Dallas fizzling out against the Houston Rockets in the first found of the 2015 playoffs. Not only did the Mavs have to give up draft capital to bring in Rondo, who left in free agency seven months later, but the failed trade also ruined one of Nowitzki's twilight years.

Some people will argue that Carlisle could've done a better job trying to make things work with Rondo during his short time in Dallas, and that's probably true. However, the fact that Mavs players voted to keep Rondo from getting a share of the playoff earnings that year tells you all you need to know about where the former star point guard's head was at.

"[Trading for Rondo] was definitely something worth pulling the trigger on," former Mavs GM Donnie Nelson said during the 2014-15 season exit interviews. "In our opinion, that was kind of the one piece that was missing. Certainly, a guy that's 28 with the accolades and the championship experience and all defense and we've had a history of doing well with pass-first point guards.

"Sometimes when things are written down on paper, they look great; when things are going into the oven they feel great and a lot of times when it comes out sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It was one of those things that in our estimation certainly wasn't risk free, but it was certainly worth the risk. If we would've had to do it all over again, we would've pulled the trigger again."

It all worked out in the end, though... sort of... as the Rondo trade also brought in franchise pillar Dwight Powell, who is currently the longest-tenured Maverick on the roster. Powell has shortcomings as a player due to his physical limitations, but he's arguably the best locker-room culture guy the Mavs have ever had, and that has to count for something, right?

At the very least, it's easier for Mavs fans to truly appreciate Powell for who he is now that the team has Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II filling out the center rotation.