2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Rajon Rondo: 2 years, $5.3 million (Los Angeles Lakers)
Despite having to wait nearly a week to find out they wouldn’t be putting their max cap space to use on Kawhi Leonard, the Los Angeles Lakers are rebounding from that disappointment as well as could be expected, dishing out slight overpays left and right in order to bring in the remaining capable players on the market to round out their rotation.
On a veteran minimum deal, Rajon Rondo’s agreement fits the same category. Unfortunately, it’s not a perfect fit by any means. While a starting five of Rondo, Danny Green, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins/JaVale McGee (with a bench of Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels, Kyle Kuzma, Jared Dudley and McGee/Cousins) sounds good on paper, there’s not much spacing in that starting five.
It also deprives the Lakers of what their strategy should be on offense: putting the ball in LeBron’s hands and surrounding him and AD with shooters. Rondo can’t shoot, and is a ball-dominant player. The Lakers can look forward to Playoff Rondo, but outside of that, this is a move that keeps a grisly locker room presence around a group that already includes LeBron and Boogie.
Grade: C+