Rajon Rondo Rumors: Hawks Expected to Offer 'Significant' Contract amid LAC Buzz
The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly planning to aggressively pursue Rajon Rondo in free agency.
NBA analyst Frank Isola reported the Hawks are armed with a two-year, $15 million deal for Rondo, who is currently known to prefer playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers are in need of a ball-handler and could pay him the mid-level exception, which has a starting salary of $9.3 million.
It's unclear if Rondo's interest in the Clippers is mutual.
Rondo spent last season playing for the veteran's minimum with the Lakers, which is arguably a more accurate representation of his value than the numbers being thrown around in free agency. Aside from an occasional flash of his former self in the playoffs, Rondo was a net negative for most of last season for the Lakers.
ESPN's real plus-minus metric measured Rondo as the 257th-best player in the NBA. While there is always some level of noise in on/off numbers, the Lakers were 5.5 points per 100 possessions better with Rondo off the floor in the regular season and 2.6 points better with him on the bench in the playoffs. Rondo did elevate his game in the postseason, including stellar performances in Games 2 and 6 of the NBA Finals, but he is not a difference-maker on the macro level.
The Hawks could pay Rondo a premium for his veteran savvy as they attempt to make the playoffs in 2020-21. For all of the rightful criticisms of the current state of Rondo's game, he's one of the league's most intelligent players and has been a positive presence for young players in stops with the Pelicans and Lakers.
Trae Young already sees the floor as well as any point guard in the league, but Rondo could help him elevate his game in subtle areas.
Any team that signs Rondo expecting him to be a positive contributor every night will likely be disappointed. However, his name value and solid moments on the NBA's brightest stage have put him in position to cash out one more time.
