NBA Rumors: Rondo Next Stop May Just Be Across Town With Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers know they can do better by getting a proven point guard. There will be a lot of players available in the free-agent market for them to choose from. But there is perhaps no better name to consider other than Rajon Rondo.

Some will bat, Rondo is already 34 and maybe in the final stretch of his NBA career. But for those who were able to watch the NBA finals, there is no denying the two-time NBA champion is still reliable.

He is only the second player in NBA history who has won an NBA title with both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. That alone is an achievement that many will find hard to match.

This is not to say that the Clippers do not have a reliable guard in the mix. Patrick Beverly managed to play well last season but some things are missing. That comes mostly from the offensive end.

For Rondo, his averages last season hardly show he is a good player that can help the offense on a nightly basis. But the difference for Rondo is that he knows when to step up.

With the Lakers, Rondo averaged 7.1 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 48 games in the regular season. The 34-year-old veteran bumped up those numbers a bit with 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists in the playoffs.

But looking beyond the numbers, there is no question that Rondo does more than that. He is a proven leader and someone who can set the tone for any team. The Clippers could use someone like him, a reason why he would be a great addition to the Clippers, the New York Times reported.

Rondo is looking for better pay, a reason why he is opting out of his deal with the Lakers. Had he stayed, he would be getting only $2.5 million for the 2020-21 season, Basketballnews.com reported.

In all, Rondo is due for a big pay raise. The Lakers could still match any offer made to him although there are boundaries. With most of the team salary budget used on LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it remains to be seen if the purple and gold will have enough to re-sign Rondo for the coming NBA season.