Chicago Bulls: 5 reasons they should keep Rajon Rondo

1. The salary is worth the benefits

Yes, I purposely saved the financial aspect of this for last.

Why, you ask?

Well, while Rondo turned out to be one of the few bright spots in an otherwise mediocre season, the salary for the second year of his deal is $13.4 million. With Wade already opting in at $23.8 million, this will be another considerable hit against the team’s salary cap.

The question then becomes: Is Rondo worth such a hefty price tag?

Paxson certainly thought so and said as much during the team’s postseason conference.

From CBSLocal.com:

"“As we get younger, it’s still really important to have quality veterans around your young players,” Paxson said. “To a man, our young people loved Rajon. He was great in the locker room. He was great off the court with these guys. He took them under his wing in a lot of ways, and he was responsible for a lot of the good things that came from them. We have a lot of respect for Rajon, especially how he believes in the game.”"

On top of that, Fred Hoiberg expressed that he loved coaching Rondo and credited him with implementing an “exciting, fun” style of play that allowed the Bulls to finish the season with a 7-2 mark down the stretch.

Taking into consideration the statements from the front office, the head coach and his teammates, keeping Rondo in the mix appears to be a no-brainer. This especially holds true when you look at the remaining point guards on the roster.

Next: 2017 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

By fully guaranteeing his salary for 2016-17, the Bulls would provide their core of young players with a veteran presence during the first year of the long-awaited rebuild. That’s more than worth one year and $13.4 million.