Cavaliers acquire Rajon Rondo from Lakers

Rajon Rondo #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a call during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on November 17, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP

LOS ANGELES – The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired Rajon Rondo from the Los Angeles Lakers to help shoulder the workload at point guard after Ricky Rubio suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear last week.

As part of the three-team deal, the Cavaliers sent guard Denzel Valentine to the New York Knicks.

The Lakers sent the draft rights to international prospects Wang Zhelin and Brad Newley along with cash considerations to the Knicks and received draft rights to another international prospect, Louis Labeyrie, from New York.

The veteran guard Rondo is a two-time NBA champion and four-time All-Star who has appeared in 134 playoff games during his 16-year NBA career.

He has averaged 3.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 18 games for the Lakers this season.

Fellow veteran guard Rubio was averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists while shooting 33.9% from three-point range this season for the Cavs before suffering the injury in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game at New Orleans.

The 21-16 Cavaliers have outperformed expectations this season and will look to keep pace in the Eastern Conference, where they sit in fifth place, despite the loss of Rubio. The young squad is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

In the Western Conference, the 19-19 Lakers have underperformed and will look to move up the standings from their current seventh-place position.

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