The new orleans Pelicans added depth to their roster by agreeing to a one-year deal with free agent Rajon Rondo according to Marc Spears. Rondo will be the backup to point guard Jrue Holiday after he signed a five-year, $126 million deal this offseason.
Rondo was a must for the Pelicans as they didn't have a backup point guard after they traded Tim Frazier to the Washington Wizards for a second round pick. Rondo was receiving interest from the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks. The Lakers wanted Rondo to mentor rookie Lonzo Ball, but could only pay him with a midlevel exception.
The Knicks wanted Rondo to mentor their rookie Frank Ntilikina. Ultimately, the decision likely came down to playing time.
Deal could resurface old Rondo
Rondo played with DeMarcus Cousins during the 2015-2016 season when both played for the Sacramento Kings. Rondo led the league in assists that season with 11.0 assists. After that, Rondo played with the Chicago Rondo where his numbers significantly declined under Fred Hoiberg. Now, Rondo joins Cousins again as the Pelicans acquired Cousins this last season with a trade that was headlined by Buddy Hield going to the Kings.
The Pelicans could have one of the better one-two punches at point guard if Holiday stays healthy. With Anthony Davis and Cousins leading the front court, the team could continually pound the paint.
The Pelicans still need an outside shooter, the deal with Rondo strengthens the team no matter what.
Pelicans banking on postseason run
The moves the Pelicans have made will impact their long term future. The Pelicans missed the playoffs last season after injuries derailed Davis. However, Cousins is set to be a free agent after this season, and has not committed to playing for the team long term.
The team needs to make a postseason run this year in order to keep their core moving forward. Davis can opt out of his contract in 2020, so the Pelicans have a few more years of their MVP-caliber player.
Rondo gives the team some much needed postseason experience. The Pelicans need to make the postseason first. However, Rondo showed how vital he can be to a team.
The Chicago Bulls were up 2-0 over the number one seed Boston Celtics this past postseason. When Rondo went down with a finger injury, the Bulls lost the next four games. The Pelicans don't have a lot of postseason experience as Cousins has never even played in a playoff series since coming into the league in 2010.
