After a strong showing in the playoffs for the Lakers in the Bubble, Rajon Rondo is expected to have many suitors in free agency. Assuming Rondo opts out of his contract this fall (as some have predicted), a new report suggests the Los Angeles Clippers will be among the teams expected to target Rondo.
Marc Stein of the New York Times had it first that the Clippers were interested.
The Clippers have interest in signing the Lakers' Rajon Rondo, league sources say, and are expected to pursue Rondo when free agency opens in November
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 28, 2020
The fit makes sense for both sides. The Clippers struggled to find a groove offensively much of the year, and their current guard options are the undersized Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley, who is more of a 3-and-D wing than a true lead play-maker. From Rondo’s perspective, playing point guard in Los Angeles on a championship contender is obviously a great gig if you can get it, so it would be no surprise if he was also interested in the Clippers.
Though Rondo was understood to be a key part of the Lakers’ success on and off the court during their championship run, Jared Dudley and others have explained how Rondo was a strong and separate voice in the Lakers’ locker room, not necessarily somebody who perfectly jived with the rest of the group.
With the Clippers also searching for a strong voice in their locker room and considering Rondo’s relationship with new Clippers coach Ty Lue from their Boston days, the fit seems quite natural. Rondo was due to make $2.6 million next season, so a minimal raise from that figure could be all it takes to woo Rondo in free agency.
