Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
LOS ANGELES — Rajon Rondo has had a difficult time for the Lakers. He was suspended after brawling with the Houston Rockets in the second game of the season. He proceeded to mangle his right hand not just once, but twice, requiring surgery both times while missing a total of 31 games. And in recent weeks, he has been coming off the bench for Coach Luke Walton, even as Lonzo Ball, who had been starting at point guard, continues to recover from an ankle injury.
Rondo, a 13-year pro, was supposed to be an invaluable presence for the Lakers, who had otherwise surrounded LeBron James in Year 1 of the West Coast LeBron era with a cast of unproven (if promising) players and a hodgepodge of reclamation projects.