Lakers frontrunners to sign Rondo after Grizzlies buyout
FILE – Rajon Rondo #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers passes the ball during the third quarter against the Miami Heat in Game Five of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 9, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images/AFP
The Memphis Grizzlies announced Saturday that they waived veteran point guard Rajon Rondo.
Multiple reports indicate that Rondo received a contract buyout from the Grizzlies and is likely to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday once he clears waivers.
Memphis acquired Rondo from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a trade announced Aug. 16 in which Eric Bledsoe went to Los Angeles.
Rondo, 35, was part of the Lakers’ team that won the 2019-20 title. He played two seasons with the team — the first was in 2018-19 — and averaged 8.1 points and 6.5 assists in 94 regular-season games (32 starts).
Rondo split last season between the Atlanta Hawks (27 games) and Clippers (18) and averaged 5.4 points and 4.4 assists.
Rondo was a four-time All-Star earlier in his career when he starred for the Boston Celtics. He played eight-plus seasons with Boston until being dealt to the Dallas Mavericks in December 2014, and has since played with the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Lakers, Hawks, and Clippers.
Overall, Rondo has career averages of 10.0 points, 8.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds in 918 games (732 starts) with the eight teams over 15 NBA seasons.
