The Los Angeles Lakers are heading to Las Vegas after clinching the final semifinal spot up for grabs in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament. The Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 106-103 on Tuesday night.

Center Anthony Davis emerged as the Lakers’ star player on the night, scoring 27 points and 15 rebounds, while Austin Reeves contributed 20 points. LeBron James proved crucial for the Lakers in the final quarter, scoring 15 of his team’s first 19 points of the fourth quarter to hand them the momentum in the final stretch.

“You’ve got some of the most alpha male competitors in the world, and if you give us an opportunity to play for something meaningful or an incentive, then you get what you’re getting,” James commented, also contributing 11 assists, eight rebounds and five steals. The Lakers have set up a semifinal clash with the New Orleans Pelicans, who they will play on Thursday night. The winner will face either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Indiana Pacers in the final.

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LeBron James proved to be the Los Angeles Lakers’ difference-maker during his 42 minutes on the court during their 130-125 win over the LA Clippers on Wednesday. The veteran contributed 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists on the night.

“I’m just happy I’m still able to go get it at this point in my career. I mean, he trusted me to go get it, so I wanted to go up there,” the Lakers star remarked after the win. Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell was impressed with James’ performance, explaining, “I mean, he took over.”

James has proven to be an impactful player during the later stages of games throughout this season, scoring 51 points in the fourth quarter and overtime this season. The victory takes the Lakers 3-2.

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Jarred Vanderbilt has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources revealed on Friday. The deal, worth $48 million, sees the Lakers secure the services of the forward just weeks before the start of training camp. Vanderbilt is the fifth member of last season’s Lakers team to sign a multi-year extension, joining the likes of Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura.

Since joining the Lakers, Vanderbilt has averaged 7.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 26 games, of which he started 24. A defensive-minded forward, Vanderbilt has often been relied on by coach Darvin Ham to guard the opponents’ most dangerous offensive threats.

Vanderbilt was acquired by the Lakers from the Utah Jazz near the trade deadline last season. His arrival was one in a flurry of moves orchestrated by Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka in an effort to grab a spot in the play-in tournament last season.

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The Los Angeles Lakers won 108-102 against a short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA’s play-in tournament on Tuesday night, ending the regular season in seventh-place in the Western Conference standings and securing a spot in the NBA playoffs.

“It took everything out of us to get to where we are, and it took more out of us tonight,” Lakers big man Anthony Davis commented. “But we’ve got a couple of days before we go to Memphis to start preparing for them. It’s been a battle. It’s been an up-and-down season for us, but now is the time to show who we are, and we showed it tonight.”

Davis and LeBron James proved to be the Lakers’ standout players on the night. James scored 30 points and made 10 rebounds while Davis ended the game with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and four assists.

In Tuesday night’s other game, the Atlanta Hawks overcame the Miami Heat 116-105 to advance alongside the Lakers. Wednesday night will see the Chicago Bulls take on the Toronto Raptors, while the Oklahoma City Thunder will play the New Orleans Pelicans.

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Anthony Davis soldiered on after twisting his ankle to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 123-111 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, thereby keeping the Lakers’ playoff hopes alive. Now, the Lakers find themselves seventh in the Western Conference standings with five regular season games left to play.

Davis twisted his left ankle midway through the third quarter after stepping backwards onto Lakers forward Wenyen Gabriel’s foot. While he needed to be helped to the bench during the subsequent timeout, he got back onto the court after the break and remained in the game until the final buzzer.

The Lakers big man scored 38 points on the night, with 17 points coming in the final quarter. He also contributed 17 rebounds and two blocks.

“I knew I was going to play,” Davis said after the game. ” “Tied the shoes up tighter and just kind off played off adrenaline until the end of the game and was able to get some treatment. But I’ll be fine.”

While the Lakers struggled at the beginning of the season, going 2-10, they are now in fine form, having overturned this difficult start to go 39-38 this season.

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The 2021 NBA free agency is off to an electric start, with several teams making big moves to position themselves for a successful 2021-22 season. The majority of the big-name free agents are already off the board, with some of them making surprising and unexpected decisions. Let’s check out the biggest deals and moves.

DeMar DeRozan Joins the Bulls

After spending the previous three seasons with San Antonio Spurs, four-time All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan is off to a new challenge. DeRozan is joining the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that will see him earn $85 million in the next three years. For their role in the deal, the Spurs gained Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, one first-round pick, and two second-rounders.

DeRozan finished the season averaging 21.6 points, 4.2 boards, and career-high 6.9 assists per game. The 32-year-old guard is expected to lead a revamped Bulls team that also signed guard Lonzo Ball on a four-year, $85 million deal and guard Alex Caruso on a four-year, $37 million contract.

Chris Paul Re-Signs With the Suns

After leading the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 2020-21, Chris Paul decided to run it back with the franchise by inking a new four-year, $120 million contract. Paul, who earned All-Star and All-NBA nods last season, previously declined his $44 million option for 2021-22.

Suns previously also picked up Landry Shamet from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade that saw them give up Jevon Carter and the No. 29 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Kyle Lowry Headed to Miami

The Miami Heat made a big addition to their roster as well, signing All-Star guard Kyle Lowry to a three-year, $90 million contract. Lowry joins from the Toronto Raptors in a sign-and-trade deal that will see the Heat sending Precious Achiuwa and Goran Dragic in exchange.

Lowry was courted by multiple NBA teams in the free agency but was interested only in the Heat as he wanted to play with Miami’s All-Star forward Jimmy Butler.

Miami made several other moves in the first days of free agency, agreeing to a five year, $90 million extension with sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, and resigning Victor Oladipo.

Lakers Get Carmelo Anthony, Add Several Others

The blockbuster trade for superstar Russell Westbrook left the Lakers with only five players under contract. Still, general manager Rob Pelinka quickly filled out the roster with veterans and young players through free agency.

The biggest news is definitely the addition of Carmelo Anthony, who signed on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract. After being almost out of the league in 2019, Melo bounced back with two successful seasons in Portland and will now have a chance to compete for an NBA Championship with one of his best friends in LeBron James.

Lakers also added veterans Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, and Kent Bazemore while signing pair of young and prospective players in Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk. They also re-signed restricted free agent Talen Horton-Tucker.

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The Los Angeles Lakers are waiving veteran guard Quinn Cook according to multiple reports. Cook spent the previous two years with the franchise and was part of the team that won the NBA championship last season.

Cook’s release doesn’t come as a surprise as the Lakers are expected to be aggressive on the buyout market and need roster spots to do so. The 27-year-old guard was the one to go since he hasn’t played much this season, averaging only 3.9 minutes per game.

Cook initially joined the Lakers in the summer of 2019 and was an important bench contributor for the team during the regular season. He didn’t see much playing time in the playoffs but was still regarded highly for his locker room influence.

While the Lakers don’t have room for Quinn Cook on their team anymore, he isn’t expected to remain a free agent for long. Several teams are already interested in his services, and Cook should be back on the floor in no time.

Cook averaged 6.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game since making his NBA debut in 2017. Besides the Lakers, he also played for the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Golden State Warriors.

The Lakers, on the other hand, will now have two roster spots available to get impact players. The first spot may potentially go to DeMarcus Cousins, who is in the process of being released by the Houston Rockets.

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The Los Angeles Lakers’ seven-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday with a 122-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets.  A big part of the Lakers’ defeat was the absence of All-Star center Anthony Davis, who was forced to exit the game in the first half due to an injury.

Davis was listed as questionable before the Nuggets game after feeling discomfort in his right leg and missing two games last week. Despite this, he ended up being featured in the starting lineup and played really well before a foul from Denver’s Nikola Jokic sent him to the locker room.

Jokic had tried to stop a Davis drive towards the basket and ended up hitting him in the quad with his knee. This caused the Lakers’ superstar to start limping, and he was forced to leave the contest after taking a pair of free-throws.

Before his exit, Davis had 15 points and four rebounds in just 14 minutes of play.

The Lakers confirmed after the game that Davis is set for an MRI, which should show the extent of the injury and give the team a better outlook on the player’s potential absence.

Davis, who is averaging 22.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season so far, is hoping for good news and believes this could be just a minor setback.

“I don’t want to go out there and try to play and risk it for the long term,” said Davis. “So, all that is inclusive of what the MRI shows tomorrow. Knock on wood, it’s great information—and I’ll be out there sooner than later.”

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San Antonio Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan is the latest big name that is being connected with reigning NBA champs Los Angeles Lakers. According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Lakers are interested in trading for DeRozan and would be willing to offer Kyle Kuzma and Danny Green in exchange.  

It is unclear whether the Spurs would be interested in making such a trade as it would immediately make them weaker in an already packed Western Conference. Kuzma and Green are fine players, but they don’t offer the same impact on the game as DeRozan.

On the other hand, DeRozan will be out of contract after this season, so it might be the last chance for the Spurs to get something valuable in return for him. They also might be tempted by the prospect of having Kuzma, who showed flashes of big talent in the past and might blossom with a change of scenery.

From the Lakers’ standpoint, getting DeRozan is a no-doubter. He is a four-time All-Star and a player who can take over the game with his scoring any given night. The 31-year-old player is coming from one of his most productive seasons, having averaged 22 points, five rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game.

However, the Lakers should be concerned about DeMar DeRozan’s fit with their current roster. One of the Lakers’ biggest weaknesses is the three-point shooting, and DeRozan is famous for avoiding shooting three-pointers. Also, the Lakers are building a brand as a defensive juggernaut, and DeRozan is almost equally famous for not playing defense.

It now remains to be seen whether the good outweighs the bad for the Lakers and how committed they are to staking their future for another title run.  

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If the Los Angeles Lakers want to keep key role player Rajon Rondo for another championship run next season, the organization will have to sign him to a new contract. According to Chris Sheridan of the Basketball News, Rondo is expected to opt-out of his deal with the Lakers this offseason and become a free agent.

Rondo signed a two-year veteran minimum contract with Lakers last year, receiving a player option for 2020/21. The 34-year-old point guard was set to earn $2.69 million next season.

The news about Rondo’s opt-out isn’t unexpected, considering that he raised his stocks in league with some stellar performances for Lakers in this year’s playoffs. This includes 19 points, four assists, and four rebounds outing in the closeout game of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.

The most likely outcome of Rajon Rondo’s opt-out will be LA Lakers giving him a slight pay-rise and possibly adding another year to his contract. The team believes the title in 2019/20 is just the first in many to come, so they will look to keep key contributors from the bench.

On the other hand, there is always a possibility that another playoff contender in need of a veteran leadership swoops in with an even bigger offer. In that case, don’t be surprised if you see Rondo sporting a different jersey when the 2020/21 tips off.

Since leaving Boston in 2015 after almost nine years with the franchise, Rondo has been a journeyman in the NBA. Besides the Lakers, he suited up for four more different organizations, including Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, and New Orleans Pelicans.

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The Los Angeles Lakers are heading to Las Vegas after clinching the final semifinal spot up for grabs in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament. The Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 106-103 on Tuesday night.

Center Anthony Davis emerged as the Lakers’ star player on the night, scoring 27 points and 15 rebounds, while Austin Reeves contributed 20 points. LeBron James proved crucial for the Lakers in the final quarter, scoring 15 of his team’s first 19 points of the fourth quarter to hand them the momentum in the final stretch.

“You’ve got some of the most alpha male competitors in the world, and if you give us an opportunity to play for something meaningful or an incentive, then you get what you’re getting,” James commented, also contributing 11 assists, eight rebounds and five steals. The Lakers have set up a semifinal clash with the New Orleans Pelicans, who they will play on Thursday night. The winner will face either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Indiana Pacers in the final.

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LeBron James proved to be the Los Angeles Lakers’ difference-maker during his 42 minutes on the court during their 130-125 win over the LA Clippers on Wednesday. The veteran contributed 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists on the night.

“I’m just happy I’m still able to go get it at this point in my career. I mean, he trusted me to go get it, so I wanted to go up there,” the Lakers star remarked after the win. Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell was impressed with James’ performance, explaining, “I mean, he took over.”

James has proven to be an impactful player during the later stages of games throughout this season, scoring 51 points in the fourth quarter and overtime this season. The victory takes the Lakers 3-2.

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Jarred Vanderbilt has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources revealed on Friday. The deal, worth $48 million, sees the Lakers secure the services of the forward just weeks before the start of training camp. Vanderbilt is the fifth member of last season’s Lakers team to sign a multi-year extension, joining the likes of Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura.

Since joining the Lakers, Vanderbilt has averaged 7.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 26 games, of which he started 24. A defensive-minded forward, Vanderbilt has often been relied on by coach Darvin Ham to guard the opponents’ most dangerous offensive threats.

Vanderbilt was acquired by the Lakers from the Utah Jazz near the trade deadline last season. His arrival was one in a flurry of moves orchestrated by Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka in an effort to grab a spot in the play-in tournament last season.

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The Los Angeles Lakers won 108-102 against a short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA’s play-in tournament on Tuesday night, ending the regular season in seventh-place in the Western Conference standings and securing a spot in the NBA playoffs.

“It took everything out of us to get to where we are, and it took more out of us tonight,” Lakers big man Anthony Davis commented. “But we’ve got a couple of days before we go to Memphis to start preparing for them. It’s been a battle. It’s been an up-and-down season for us, but now is the time to show who we are, and we showed it tonight.”

Davis and LeBron James proved to be the Lakers’ standout players on the night. James scored 30 points and made 10 rebounds while Davis ended the game with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and four assists.

In Tuesday night’s other game, the Atlanta Hawks overcame the Miami Heat 116-105 to advance alongside the Lakers. Wednesday night will see the Chicago Bulls take on the Toronto Raptors, while the Oklahoma City Thunder will play the New Orleans Pelicans.

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Anthony Davis soldiered on after twisting his ankle to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 123-111 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, thereby keeping the Lakers’ playoff hopes alive. Now, the Lakers find themselves seventh in the Western Conference standings with five regular season games left to play.

Davis twisted his left ankle midway through the third quarter after stepping backwards onto Lakers forward Wenyen Gabriel’s foot. While he needed to be helped to the bench during the subsequent timeout, he got back onto the court after the break and remained in the game until the final buzzer.

The Lakers big man scored 38 points on the night, with 17 points coming in the final quarter. He also contributed 17 rebounds and two blocks.

“I knew I was going to play,” Davis said after the game. ” “Tied the shoes up tighter and just kind off played off adrenaline until the end of the game and was able to get some treatment. But I’ll be fine.”

While the Lakers struggled at the beginning of the season, going 2-10, they are now in fine form, having overturned this difficult start to go 39-38 this season.

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The 2021 NBA free agency is off to an electric start, with several teams making big moves to position themselves for a successful 2021-22 season. The majority of the big-name free agents are already off the board, with some of them making surprising and unexpected decisions. Let’s check out the biggest deals and moves.

DeMar DeRozan Joins the Bulls

After spending the previous three seasons with San Antonio Spurs, four-time All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan is off to a new challenge. DeRozan is joining the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that will see him earn $85 million in the next three years. For their role in the deal, the Spurs gained Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, one first-round pick, and two second-rounders.

DeRozan finished the season averaging 21.6 points, 4.2 boards, and career-high 6.9 assists per game. The 32-year-old guard is expected to lead a revamped Bulls team that also signed guard Lonzo Ball on a four-year, $85 million deal and guard Alex Caruso on a four-year, $37 million contract.

Chris Paul Re-Signs With the Suns

After leading the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 2020-21, Chris Paul decided to run it back with the franchise by inking a new four-year, $120 million contract. Paul, who earned All-Star and All-NBA nods last season, previously declined his $44 million option for 2021-22.

Suns previously also picked up Landry Shamet from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade that saw them give up Jevon Carter and the No. 29 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Kyle Lowry Headed to Miami

The Miami Heat made a big addition to their roster as well, signing All-Star guard Kyle Lowry to a three-year, $90 million contract. Lowry joins from the Toronto Raptors in a sign-and-trade deal that will see the Heat sending Precious Achiuwa and Goran Dragic in exchange.

Lowry was courted by multiple NBA teams in the free agency but was interested only in the Heat as he wanted to play with Miami’s All-Star forward Jimmy Butler.

Miami made several other moves in the first days of free agency, agreeing to a five year, $90 million extension with sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, and resigning Victor Oladipo.

Lakers Get Carmelo Anthony, Add Several Others

The blockbuster trade for superstar Russell Westbrook left the Lakers with only five players under contract. Still, general manager Rob Pelinka quickly filled out the roster with veterans and young players through free agency.

The biggest news is definitely the addition of Carmelo Anthony, who signed on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract. After being almost out of the league in 2019, Melo bounced back with two successful seasons in Portland and will now have a chance to compete for an NBA Championship with one of his best friends in LeBron James.

Lakers also added veterans Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, and Kent Bazemore while signing pair of young and prospective players in Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk. They also re-signed restricted free agent Talen Horton-Tucker.

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The Los Angeles Lakers are waiving veteran guard Quinn Cook according to multiple reports. Cook spent the previous two years with the franchise and was part of the team that won the NBA championship last season.

Cook’s release doesn’t come as a surprise as the Lakers are expected to be aggressive on the buyout market and need roster spots to do so. The 27-year-old guard was the one to go since he hasn’t played much this season, averaging only 3.9 minutes per game.

Cook initially joined the Lakers in the summer of 2019 and was an important bench contributor for the team during the regular season. He didn’t see much playing time in the playoffs but was still regarded highly for his locker room influence.

While the Lakers don’t have room for Quinn Cook on their team anymore, he isn’t expected to remain a free agent for long. Several teams are already interested in his services, and Cook should be back on the floor in no time.

Cook averaged 6.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game since making his NBA debut in 2017. Besides the Lakers, he also played for the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Golden State Warriors.

The Lakers, on the other hand, will now have two roster spots available to get impact players. The first spot may potentially go to DeMarcus Cousins, who is in the process of being released by the Houston Rockets.

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The Los Angeles Lakers’ seven-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday with a 122-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets.  A big part of the Lakers’ defeat was the absence of All-Star center Anthony Davis, who was forced to exit the game in the first half due to an injury.

Davis was listed as questionable before the Nuggets game after feeling discomfort in his right leg and missing two games last week. Despite this, he ended up being featured in the starting lineup and played really well before a foul from Denver’s Nikola Jokic sent him to the locker room.

Jokic had tried to stop a Davis drive towards the basket and ended up hitting him in the quad with his knee. This caused the Lakers’ superstar to start limping, and he was forced to leave the contest after taking a pair of free-throws.

Before his exit, Davis had 15 points and four rebounds in just 14 minutes of play.

The Lakers confirmed after the game that Davis is set for an MRI, which should show the extent of the injury and give the team a better outlook on the player’s potential absence.

Davis, who is averaging 22.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season so far, is hoping for good news and believes this could be just a minor setback.

“I don’t want to go out there and try to play and risk it for the long term,” said Davis. “So, all that is inclusive of what the MRI shows tomorrow. Knock on wood, it’s great information—and I’ll be out there sooner than later.”

The post Lakers C Anthony Davis Dealing with Achilles Strain appeared first on SportzBonanza.

San Antonio Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan is the latest big name that is being connected with reigning NBA champs Los Angeles Lakers. According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Lakers are interested in trading for DeRozan and would be willing to offer Kyle Kuzma and Danny Green in exchange.  

It is unclear whether the Spurs would be interested in making such a trade as it would immediately make them weaker in an already packed Western Conference. Kuzma and Green are fine players, but they don’t offer the same impact on the game as DeRozan.

On the other hand, DeRozan will be out of contract after this season, so it might be the last chance for the Spurs to get something valuable in return for him. They also might be tempted by the prospect of having Kuzma, who showed flashes of big talent in the past and might blossom with a change of scenery.

From the Lakers’ standpoint, getting DeRozan is a no-doubter. He is a four-time All-Star and a player who can take over the game with his scoring any given night. The 31-year-old player is coming from one of his most productive seasons, having averaged 22 points, five rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game.

However, the Lakers should be concerned about DeMar DeRozan’s fit with their current roster. One of the Lakers’ biggest weaknesses is the three-point shooting, and DeRozan is famous for avoiding shooting three-pointers. Also, the Lakers are building a brand as a defensive juggernaut, and DeRozan is almost equally famous for not playing defense.

It now remains to be seen whether the good outweighs the bad for the Lakers and how committed they are to staking their future for another title run.  

The post Lakers Interested in Trading for Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan appeared first on SportzBonanza.

If the Los Angeles Lakers want to keep key role player Rajon Rondo for another championship run next season, the organization will have to sign him to a new contract. According to Chris Sheridan of the Basketball News, Rondo is expected to opt-out of his deal with the Lakers this offseason and become a free agent.

Rondo signed a two-year veteran minimum contract with Lakers last year, receiving a player option for 2020/21. The 34-year-old point guard was set to earn $2.69 million next season.

The news about Rondo’s opt-out isn’t unexpected, considering that he raised his stocks in league with some stellar performances for Lakers in this year’s playoffs. This includes 19 points, four assists, and four rebounds outing in the closeout game of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.

The most likely outcome of Rajon Rondo’s opt-out will be LA Lakers giving him a slight pay-rise and possibly adding another year to his contract. The team believes the title in 2019/20 is just the first in many to come, so they will look to keep key contributors from the bench.

On the other hand, there is always a possibility that another playoff contender in need of a veteran leadership swoops in with an even bigger offer. In that case, don’t be surprised if you see Rondo sporting a different jersey when the 2020/21 tips off.

Since leaving Boston in 2015 after almost nine years with the franchise, Rondo has been a journeyman in the NBA. Besides the Lakers, he suited up for four more different organizations, including Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, and New Orleans Pelicans.

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