Chris Broussard of ESPN breaks down some players that could challenge LeBron James for the MVP trophy next year. While it would be hard to beat him or Durant out, Rajon Rondo is an interesting name.

NBA - Other MVP candidates besides LeBron James - ESPN

Rondo is not typically on most people's list of MVP candidates, but it could happen. The Celtics are clearly his team, and I love what they did this offseason. They had a strong draft in getting Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo. They added Jason Terry as a free agent, and Jeff Green and Avery Bradley will return from injury. Boston is going to contend in the East, and Rondo will be its engine. To win the MVP award, he'll need to lead the Celtics to at least the second-best record in the East with a mark that is close to that of the Heat's. And he'll need to rack up several triple-doubles, lead the league in assists and score about 15 points a game, which would be a career-high. That's asking a lot, but if he can do it, he might be rewarded with the MVP award.

I think it would be hard sell nationwide, especially if Rondo is still scoring under 20 points per game. In fact, even locally there's still some debate over who is the MVP on the team, never mind the league. Still, he's a guy that has that kind of transcendent upside. So I would never bet against him.