Getty The Lakers may have a chance to bring back Rajon Rondo.
The Los Angeles Lakers may have an opportunity to fill out their roster with a familiar fan favorite. Daily Memphian’s Drew Hill suggests the Grizzlies and point guard Rajon Rondo are likely headed towards a buyout before the season tips off.
“There are simply too many players for a 15-man roster, and Memphis added two more following the trade that sent Patrick Beverly to Minnesota,” Hill explained. “The Grizzlies will have to find a way to get players off the roster, potentially by buying players out, trading or waiving them. Will Rajon Rondo be part of the team at the season’s beginning? Probably not.”
Rondo along with Patrick Beverly and Daniel Oturu were part of a trade that landed the Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe. It marks the second time Rondo has been traded in 2021 as the four-time All-Star was initially dealt by the Hawks to the Clippers at the deadline in exchange for Lou Williams. Rondo’s days as an All-Star may be behind him, but the Lakers could do worse than filling out their roster with a veteran that brings his experience.
Rondo Is a Likely Buyout Candidate: Report
Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington also expects the Grizzlies and Rondo to reach a buyout agreement. This would open up the opportunity for the guard to return to the Lakers, but Los Angeles is sure to have competition from rival contenders if he becomes a free agent.
“The guess here is that one or both of outgoing Clippers/incoming Grizzlies Rajon Rondo or Daniel Oturu are let go- via another trade or more likely waive or buyout- as a piece of paperwork slips between the processing of the Clippers trade and the Minnesota trade,” Herrington noted.
Rondo put up modest numbers for the Clippers averaging 7.6 points, 5.8 assists and a steal while shooting 43.2% from long range. As Lakers fans can attest, Rondo’s impact goes beyond the stat sheet as the point guard played a key role in the Lakers championship run in 2020.
The Lakers Have Also Been Linked to Isaiah Thomas & Darren Collison
NBA insider Marc Stein reported during a recent Greenroom session that the Lakers could opt to keep their roster spots open until they get closer to training camp. After a flurry of moves overhauling the majority of their roster, the Lakers have been mostly quiet since the first week of free agency. Stein linked the Lakers to a number of veteran free agents including Isaiah Thomas, Darren Collinson and Tim Frazier.
“Forward JaKarr Sampson, who spent the past two seasons in Indiana, and veteran guard Tim Frazier are two more free-agent names that have emerged as candidates for the two roster spots that the Lakers plan to fill,” Stein detailed. “After I reported here recently about the Lakers’ interest in Isaiah Thomas, my good friend Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports and Turner Sports reported that the Lakers have also auditioned Darren Collison and Mike James, who played well as a late-season addition in Brooklyn last season, in addition to Thomas. I’m told that the Lakers’ private workout with Thomas, for the record, took place before he scored 81 points in a pro/am game in Seattle.”