Chicago Bulls, Rajon Rondo Agree To 2-Year Deal

Rajon Rondo has agreed to terms with the Chicago Bulls. Will he fit in the backcourt with Jimmy Butler?

As first reported by Marc Spears of The Undefeated, free agent point guard Rajon Rondo and the Chicago Bulls have agreed to a two-year deal worth $28 million.

It has been quite the road for the excited Rondo, who is less than two years recovered from a torn ACL.

After being traded by the Boston Celtics to the Dallas Mavericks in the winter of the 2014-15 season, Rondo endured a tumultuous second half of the season, including numerous spats with Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, leading to his benching that postseason.

Rondo has often been known for his precarious nature over his time in the NBA.

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However, last season with the Kings, his first full season removed from the ACL injury, Rondo shined in his role as the team’s starting point guard, despite the numerous distractions that surrounded the Sacramento organization.

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With the fresh start with the Kings and looking to restore his value before hitting the free agent market, Rondo seemed to be back to his old self. Rondo averaged 11.9 points per game, and led the NBA by tying a career-best with 11.7 assists per contest.

Most importantly, Rondo started in 72 games last season, his most appearances in a season since 2009-10.

For the Bulls, this appears to be a fresh start of sorts, as the team shipped former MVP Derrick Rose, as well as Justin Holiday and a future second-round pick, to the New York Knicks in exchange for Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant, and Jose Calderon just two weeks ago.

If the current roster form holds for the Bulls, it is likely that Calderon will slide in as a third guard behind Rondo and Jimmy Butler, while Jerian Grant will continue to develop in a backup point guard role in his second season in the NBA.

The guard depth for the Bulls is now much better than it was at the conclusion of the season. Offensively, with a pass-first point guard in Rondo, the Bulls offense should theoretically move through Butler more than it did in the last couple of years.

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Rose often took shots away from the emerging Butler, which was a cause for concern among those who followed the team.

Rondo has excelled in his career with setting others up for open looks offensively, while thriving off of drives to the basket and producing in the lane when his scoring is at its peak.

The one obvious question mark with this deal that has already been discussed widely on various social media outlets, is whether or not Rondo can co-exist with second-year NBA coach Fred Hoiberg.

Rondo butted heads with Doc Rivers when the Celtics were chasing championships, had disagreements over offensive philosophy with Brad Stevens and never seemed to get along at all with widely respected Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle.

The direction of the Bulls seems to be a form of a semi-rebuild at this point, but more clarity may be coming down the pipeline in the coming months with additional roster moves.

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For now though, it appears that the Bulls have solidified their backcourt for the coming season, as they hope that Rondo and Butler can form a new dynamic duo in Chicago.