The Cleveland Cavaliers are suddenly extremely thin at the point guard position after Ricky Rubio suffered a torn ACL to his left knee, knocking him out for the remainder of the season. Earlier in the year, they also lost guard Collin Sexton for the season after the young scorer suffered a torn meniscus. Needing to do something to maintain their current playoff pace, the Cavs are nearing a trade for the accomplished veteran Rajon Rondo from the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, a trade could be completed as soon as Friday. While there is no word on an expected return heading back to the Lakers, a Rondo trade would provide some immediate experience to the Cavaliers’ backcourt.
With the Cavs off to a 20-14 start, in fifth-place of the Eastern Conference, they’ll hope Rondo can help them stay on track. Rondo is under contract with the Lakers through the remainder of the 2021-22 NBA season, after which he will become an unrestricted free agent.
- Rajon Rondo contract: $2,641,691 in 2021-22
Rajon Rondo trade won’t cost much for Cavaliers
Rondo is currently in the league’s health and safety protocols as of Dec. 26, but once he’s clear, he could offer a veteran presence who’s also a two-time NBA Champion to a young Cavaliers roster on the rise. In his 16th NBA season, Rondo has played in 18 games for the Lakers this year.
While in desperate need, acquiring Rondo shouldn’t cost much for the Cavs. He’s not an integral part of the Lakers’ rotation, playing just 16.1 minutes per game and the Lakers are likely looking at making some roster changes anyway.
The Cavaliers have several players who are in the same range of what Rondo currently makes and he’s not in high demand at this point in his career. But, Rondo can also provide valuable minutes, while getting another chance to get back to the postseason, where maybe he can give NBA fans a glimpse of “Playoff Rondo” again.
