The Los Angeles Lakers have made a string of notable additions to their roster over this offseason following the major splash move of All-Star forward LeBron James. One of which was veteran point guard Rajon Rondo on a one-year, $9 million deal to help further stabilize their backcourt with playoff presence.
According to Kevin Ding of Lakers.com, general manager Rob Pelinka called the move “essential” for the Lakers given what he brings to the table and on off the court.
“I know he’s a student of the game like no other,” Pelinka said.
That alone is a big reason Rondo is here. He was “essential for us to add,” according to Pelinka, because “we wanted to add basketball IQ and playoff toughness, and he brings that.”
Although Rondo has had questions surrounding him in the past concerning him being hard to deal with at times, he has had a career resurgence over the last couple of years with the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, and New Orleans Pelicans becoming a more cerebral threat on the court with his playmaking ability that had previously made him one of the top point guards in the league.
Rondo is has a grizzled veteran point guard with 12 years of experience under his belt that makes him both a major asset on the floor behind his special passing ability and unique knowledge of the game. He also has a chance to be a mentor to second-year point guard Lonzo Ball. If anything, the 32-year-old's presence will help push Ball to perform better immediately as the starting job will be open for competition in training camp.
Only time will tell if this move could be beneficial for the near future and long-term as Los Angeles is hopeful that this could be a positive step toward helping push the team into title contention.
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