New Orleans Pelicans swingman Josh Hart is not wasting any time in trying to make his team a more formidable force for the upcoming campaign. Most recently, the 25-year-old set his sights on newly-crowned NBA champ Rajon Rondo of the Los Angeles Lakers, who himself is expected to enter free agency in the offseason.
Hart took to Twitter to come out with a not-so-veiled recruitment attempt aimed at Rondo:
One of my favorite teammates I ever played with. Love him to come back to the Big Easy! https://t.co/GrSK921yI7
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) October 15, 2020
Hart and Rondo crossed paths with the Lakers last season. This was before L.A. decided to send Hart to the Pelicans last summer as part of the Anthony Davis deal. Hart is not shy about wanting to play with Rondo again, and in his mind, New Orleans would be the prefect destination for the two-time champ. Should he decide to walk away from the Purple & Gold, that is.
Rondo has a player option on his current deal for the upcoming season, which is worth $2.6 million. The general belief is that Rondo will opt out of his deal in order to secure a bigger contract for the coming season. For the Lakers, they are hoping that Rondo re-signs with them, as he's proven to be a pivotal piece in the team's championship run this season. With L.A. looking to defend their crown in the 2020-21 campaign, keeping Rondo on board should be one of their top priorities.
Then again, nothing is certain at this point. Other teams might be able to offer Rajon Rondo more money, and for Hart, he's hoping that that team ends up being New Orleans.