Rondo Bought Out By Grizzlies

Rajon Rondo secures buyout from Grizzlies, Lakers are frontrunners to sign him, per report
Rondo spent last season with the Hawks and Clippers
Sam Quinn

By Sam Quinn
16 hrs ago
2 min read


Rajon Rondo has secured a buyout from the Memphis Grizzlies, and when he clears waivers, the Los Angeles Lakers are the favorites to sign him, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal would presumably be for the minimum, the only tool available to them to sign players at this stage of the offseason.

Rondo was a key member of the 2020 Lakers championship team, but left for a two-year, $15 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks. Midway through his first season in Atlanta, Rondo was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. After an uneven half-season there, the Clippers dealt Rondo to Memphis in part of a package for Eric Bledsoe. Memphis, with Ja Morant and several young guards in place, had no reason to keep Rondo, and with 18 players on their roster, needed to move three regardless. They have now trimmed their roster down to 17, and Rondo has secured the opportunity to return to his former team.

In Los Angeles, he would be joining an incredibly deep backcourt that was completely rebuilt this offseason. Russell Westbrook is the new starting point guard, and fighting for minutes in the rest of the backcourt are Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk and Wayne Ellington. With LeBron James in tow, ball-handling is the last thing these Lakers need. In that sense, Rondo is an odd fit. There may not be any playing time available to him to open the season.

But with Jared Dudley gone, the Lakers are missing a key locker room presence. Rondo was a beloved teammate on the 2020 championship team, and the coaching staff praised him consistently. In that sense, the Lakers may be signing Rondo as much for his presence as his playing ability. It should also be noted that the Lakers currently only have five players on the roster making more than the minimum. James, Westbrook and Anthony Davis aren't going anywhere, so if the Lakers have to make an in-season trade, Nunn and Horton-Tucker are prime candidates to be moved just because of their larger salaries. Rondo may also be insurance in the event one or both of them are moved.


Rondo is 35. Even his mythical playoff form struggled last season with the Clippers. In all likelihood, Rondo would not be joining the Lakers to play a particularly big role. But his success in 2020 proved how he can impact a winning team both on and off of the floor. As long as he's comfortable with the idea of not being in the rotation to start the season, this should be a valuable addition for the Lakers.


Bob


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Well, you can pencil the Lakers into the Finals lest they become the Brooklyn Nets of 2021.

db

I heard today that Rondo's D was too weak to get much court time for both the Hawks and Cips.

On another note, since the Cavs signed Markannen to be their 4-5, and Kevin Love has refused a buyout (he wants his filull $30M a year and is due a total of $60M), since Cleveland can't find any trading partners for him, and since Cleveland's owner reportedly has no love for Love and may be pissed and rich enough to let him go for a song, I hope we can get Kevin Love even if it means Boston trading the rights to Sweet Caroline for him...but nothing more. Getting Kevin with no injury to our cap space would be a stellar upgrade to our roster. I think he would put his head, body, and heart back into the game as an FU to the league that thinks he is all washed up.

Worcester how many times has it been that Kevin love's name has come up as a guy that the Celtics should get?

I would not have a problem with him on the team but his $60 million guaranteed money along with the apparent buyout refusal is a problem. Maybe they just let him sit and refuse to play him until he accepts the buyout and then he would become a FA and a team could sign him for the veteran minimum for a 10+ year guy.

The only way to sign him would be if he accepted a near 100% buyout and signed with us for a vet minimum, perhaps doing a sign and trade with Grant Williams contract. Gyso, is this possible?

I only want him on the team for very little money and if he is eager to get in shape with a burning desire to get another ring. Only that would work for me.

worcester wrote:The only way to sign him would be if he accepted a near 100% buyout and signed with us for a vet minimum, perhaps doing a sign and trade with Grant Williams contract. Gyso, is this possible?

I only want him on the team for very little money and if he is eager to get in shape with a burning desire to get another ring. Only that would work for me.

The report says he is already bought out. Therefore he can already sign with any team for the vet minimum. No sign-and-trade is required.

Is there a more recent report of a buyout than this, which denies it?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/cavs-were-making-progress-on-kevin-love-buyout-until-now/ar-AANQjOO

signed back with LA for $2.9 million

He is signing for $2,564,753, which is the vet min for a player with 10+ seasons in the league.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-rajon-rondo-plans-to-sign-1-year-26-m-deal-with-lakers-after-clearing-waivers-report-172901147.html

Yahoo Sports
Cassandra Negley
Mon, August 30, 2021, 1:29 PM

Rajon Rondo is inching closer to being back in the Los Angeles Lakers purple and gold.

The 16-year veteran plans to sign a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Lakers once he clears waivers on Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported. There were reports over the weekend that was Rondo's plan.

Rondo had his contract bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. The sides reached an agreement for the final year of his contract, which was $8.3 million, per ESPN.

He had been traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to Memphis earlier this month in the deal that brought Eric Bledsoe to L.A. Patrick Beverley and Daniel Oturu also went to Memphis.

Rondo is a two-time NBA champion and four-time All-Star. He was only with the Lakers for two seasons from 2018-20. He was an important piece to the championship won in the bubble in Orlando, averaging 7.1 points and 5.0 assists per game throughout the entire season.

He will sign with the Lakers on a veteran's minimum, per ESPN, and take one of the team's three open roster spots available.

Rondo, 35, spent his first nine seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, winning his first in 2008. He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2014-15 campaign and had spent consecutive seasons with only the Lakers since then. He was with seven different teams since that trade.

As noted by Matt Williams, a statistician with ESPN, the signing will reunite a slew of 2012 All-Star selections in LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Marc Gasol, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook and Rondo.

Anthony Davis was leading Kentucky to a national championship at the time. The New Orleans Hornets took him No. 1 overall in the 2012 NBA draft that June.

Rondo is also not the only former Lakers player returning to Staples Center as a member of the home team. Howard, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington and Ken Bazemore complete the five offseason signings.

Rondo averaged 5.4 points and 4.4 assists in 45 games last season — 27 with the Atlanta Hawks and another 18 with the Los Angeles Clippers. His 40.4% clip from beyond the 3-point line was the best of his career.

But what about Kevin Love. Surely he would be more helpful that Jabari at the vet minimum.