Rajon Rondo Reportedly Expected to Decline $2.6M Lakers Contract Option

Rajon Rondo's time with the Purple and Gold appears to be coming to an end.

On Sunday, the point guard declined his player option worth $2.62 million for the 2020-21 season after he made $2.56 million in base salary in 2019-20 for the Los Angeles Lakers while helping lead the team to a championship.

Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported the news, noting the Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks are among the teams expected to pursue him.

The University of Kentucky product entered the league as a first-round pick in 2006 and has built a resume that includes two championships, four All-Star selections, three assist championships, four All-Defensive selections and an All-NBA third-team selection in 2011-12.

Rondo is best known for his time with the Boston Celtics, where he spent the first eight-plus seasons of his career until they traded him to the Dallas Mavericks in December 2014.

He has been more of a journeyman since then, playing for the Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and Lakers. Los Angeles brought him aboard prior to the 2018-19 campaign, and he was solid in his first season with the team behind 9.2 points, 8.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

While the Lakers missed the playoffs entirely during Rondo's first season, there were championship expectations in place entering the 2019-20 campaign after they acquired Anthony Davis.

Rondo figured to thrive in such a situation seeing how he has plenty of playoff experience and could serve as a veteran leader for a team in win-now mode. He could also facilitate for the second unit and isn't someone who was going to take shots away from LeBron James and Davis.

While he saw his numbers largely fall across the board in 48 regular-season games at 7.1 points, 5.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 0.8 steals per night while shooting 32.8 percent from three-point range, he did thrive for stretches off the bench in the postseason as Playoff Rondo provided a spark to the second unit.

Rondo averaged 8.9 points, 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals in the playoffs while shooting 40 percent from three-point range. That outside shooting was particularly important given the space playing alongside Davis and James creates, and he poured in 19 points in the closeout win over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Rondo now enters free agency at 34 years old with durability concerns after he appeared in 46 games in 2018-19 and dealt with hamstring and finger injuries this past season.

Still, any team in championship-or-bust mode could at least take solace knowing he is someone with a championship pedigree who can run the offense for short bursts in pressure-packed situations coming off the bench.

At his best, Rondo is someone who can help a potential suitor make a run at the Larry O'Brien Trophy even in a much more limited role than he was accustomed to in his prime.