Lakers land Rondo, renounce rights to Randle
The Los Angeles Lakers continued the remolding of their club on Monday by agreeing to a one-year, $9 million deal with veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, according to multiple reports.
Rondo's deal comes one day after the Lakers landed LeBron James in free agency. Los Angeles also added veteran big man JaVale McGee and swingman Lance Stephenson and retained shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on Sunday.
The Lakers on Monday also renounced their $5.56 million qualifying offer to forward Julius Randle, making him an unrestricted free agent and removing a $12.5 million cap hold. Less than two hours after his offer was pulled, Randle agreed to a two-year, $18 million deal with Rondo's old team, the New Orleans Pelicans, according to an ESPN report.
Adding the 32-year-old Rondo makes for a unique situation as Los Angeles selected point guard Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall choice in the 2017 draft.
Ball is currently rehabbing a torn meniscus in his left knee and is expected to be ready for training camp.
Meanwhile, Rondo is approaching the situation as if the starting position is up for grabs, according to multiple reports.
Rondo considered remaining with the Pelicans before accepting the Lakers' offer. He averaged 8.3 points, 8.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 65 games for New Orleans last season.
In 12 NBA seasons, Rondo has career averages of 10.5 points, 8.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds. He also has played for the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls.
Randle averaged a career-high 16.1 points while also averaging 8.0 rebounds last season, playing in all 82 games.
He has career averages of 13.5 points and 8.9 rebounds in 238 NBA games (182 starts). Randle was the seventh overall pick of the 2014 draft out of Kentucky.
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