How Much Money Has Rajon Rondo Sacrificed in Order to Run It Back With Lakers?

The Lakers have had one of the busiest off-seasons so far. With the blockbuster trade of Russell Westbrook, the Purple and Gold shipped away their supporting cast. They have certainly compensated the same with multiple smart signings.

Bringing in former veterans like Dwight Howard and Wayne Ellington, they have revamped their side for the 2021-22 season. After making some many key moves, the Lakers still had three roster spots available. While they were linked to some names like Isaiah Thomas and Mike James, a familiar name emerged as a target, Rajon Rondo.

While the speculations were getting rampant, it was becoming pretty clear that Rondo might be on his way out of the Memphis Grizzlies. Given how they have made moves this off-season, they are clearly rooting for the future and with no roster spot available, a buyout seemed inevitable.

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How much Lakers’ new guard Rajon Rondo gave up with the buyout?

After winning the championship with the Lakers, Rondo was in search of a massive payday. This came with the Atlanta Hawks who signed him for two years with a contract worth $15 million. While he jumped across teams in the 2020-21 season, the two-time NBA champion made his $7.5 million last season.

Owed another $7.5 million, Rondo started his negotiations with Grizzlies. Although he could have forced Memphis to pay him out completely, the veteran guard reportedly paid back $2.6 million to the Grizzlies. By giving back this $2.6 million, Memphis is now set to pay only $4.8 million to the former Celtics’ guard. The Lakers meanwhile are reportedly offering a one-year contract worth $2.6 million.

The 34-year-old is certainly an incredible signing for the Lakers. Although he is coming off of a poor season, Rondo has shown time and again how he can be effective on the court. With his incredible passing ability and score in spurts of the game, Rondo was arguably the third-best player in the bubble triumph behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

This season though, the four-time All-Star won’t have a big role with the team. But given how good the two-time NBA champion is, he will surely get some quality minutes as a backup to new Lakers’ superstar Russell Westbrook. Can Rondo win his third ring with the Lakers this season?