Chicago Bulls: 5 moves the organization needs to make this summer

Pick up Rajon Rondo’s player option

Making sure Rondo is around next season should be the team’s first priority.

When the Bulls acquired the guard last July, seemingly everyone had an objection to it. Some said signing him made no sense because the front office had just said they wanted to get younger and more athletic. Others made their case that the team would just replace one set of off-court issues with another. There were those who called him washed. All in all, no one understood what management was thinking.

More from Chicago Bulls

• NBA Rumors: Chicago pursuing the best remaining free agent
• 3 Ways the Chicago Bulls can utilize their disabled player exception
• 3 Teams that dodged a bullet with Russell Westbrook news
• NBA Rumors: Could Goran Dragic’s days be numbered on the Chicago Bulls?
• Revisiting 5 recent terrible trades ahead of the deadline

But it turns out the 31-year-old was exactly what Chicago needed.

Rondo was a veteran who still had something to prove, yet had no problem leaving most of the workload to the younger generation. A playmaker who could make his teammates better, while also using his ball-handling abilities to be successful himself. An experienced player with legs still fresh enough to run the floor.

Sure, there were bumps in the road. And yes, there are parts of his game that still need improvement.

However, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

Time to pony up that $13.4 million.