About two weeks ago, the Los Angeles Lakers traded veteran point guard Rajan Rondo to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade without getting anything in return, the Purpose of the Lakers' operation was simply to free up a roster gap, while the Lakers' rare opportunity to play Rondo will get a more important role and more playing time in the rapidly rising Cavaliers this season, the Cavaliers just lost Ricky Rubio, who previously suffered a major injury to a torn front cruciate ligament. There was an urgent need for someone to fill the void he had left behind.
The reason why the Lakers are in a hurry to vacate the lineup vacancy is to sign Stanley Johnson, because the Lakers already have a complete lineup of up to 15 people before trading Rondo, so the team's general manager Rob Pelinka must clear a lineup gap to sign him, and the Cavaliers just need a point guard, and the two sides hit it off. But the strange thing is that Johnson has just signed a third 10-day short contract with the Lakers, which proves that he is not in a hurry to seek a formal contract.
The Lakers have now suffered a three-game losing streak, the defense seems to be back to its poor start-of-season form, Kendrick Nunn still hasn't been able to play, Russell Westbrook's shooting percentage has dropped badly, and as things stand, trading Rondo doesn't seem like a smart move.
Rondo has performed well in the Cavaliers, averaging 10.3 points, 4.7 assists and 4 rebounds in three games so far, and in the 21 minutes per game, he has to shoot 4.7 three-pointers, shooting 42.9%, helping the Cavaliers achieve a 2-1 record, the only loss is to the championship-winning Golden State Warriors, especially in the second game for the Cavaliers, he made 15 points and 5 assists on 3-of-3 shooting from outside the three-point line.
In these three games, Rondo looks no different from the one who won the NBA championship with the Lakers two years ago, his passing and scoring are in place, his defense looks as sharp as ever, and even Warriors superstar Stephen Curry can't take advantage of him.
Considering the current situation of the Lakers, especially The poor performance of Westbrook, it may be beneficial for the team to have Rondo appear in the lineup and let him play a more important role in The Westbrook, although the three games he played for the Cavaliers are only a small sample, but it proves that Rondo still has good ability and can help a team win, whether on the court or off the court, as long as he exists, it is a stabilizing factor for the Lakers.
Unfortunately, the hasty decision made by the Lakers management has led to this regrettable situation, after all, Stanley Johnson is still signing a ten-day short contract, and there are other useless players on their team, there is no need to rush to send Rondo away. The only consolation is that with the Lakers less and less likely to win a championship this season, Rondo can play the remaining heat on other teams.