When the Chicago Bulls traded away Jimmy Butler they said that they planned on getting younger. That marked a moment of confusion for two of their bigger remaining stars, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. While Wade opted into his contract and is with the Bulls unless a trade happens, Chicago chose to go ahead and release Rondo. The former Boston Celtics superstar then became a free agent, but thanks to his age and lessened production over the years, Rajon took a little longer than others to find a home. That has now changed as Rondo has signed with the new orleans Pelicans.
Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo signed a new one-year contract to join the New Orleans Pelicans as a veteran mentor to what looks like a promising young unit. There is no word yet on what the Pelicans are paying Rondo. According to ESPN, the meeting that the team’s front office had with Rajon went “excellent” and he should step in and help right away. In the hugely disappointing 2016-17 Chicago Bulls season, Rondo only averaged a low 7.8 points and 6.7 assists a game. It was his lowest point average since his rookie season.
Rajon Rondo was a first-round draft pick by the Phoenix Suns in the 2006 NBA Draft but was sent to the Boston Celtics. Rondo was with the Celtics when they made it to the NBA Finals with superstars like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Kendrick Perkins.
Rajon was best-known for his 3-point shooting, which hit a career high .376 last season in Chicago.
Since leaving the Boston Celtics in the 2014-15 season, he has bounced from the Dallas Mavericks to the Sacramento Kings to the Chicago Bulls. The New Orleans Pelicans will be Rondo’s fourth team since the start of the 2014 NBA season.
Pelicans’ 2017-18 season outlook
Rajon Rondo will be the backup point guard for the New Orleans Pelicans this season behind Jrue Holiday, who just signed a five-year, $126 million deal with the team. However, there are rumors that the Pelicans have considered moving Holiday around and moving him off the ball during games and Rondo could play a huge role in that.
Rajon also joins center DeMarcus Cousins, who he played with in Sacramento and superstar power forward Anthony Davis.
While Rajon Rondo has been called out for clashing with teammates and coaches, he has also been praised for standing up for younger players. While with the Chicago Bulls, Rondo called out both Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler for throwing some younger teammates under the bus when talking about the team’s struggles.
