Rajon Rondo's impending return adds more age and experience to the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have had a busy offseason, and it doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
After adding eight players to their roster who weren't on the team a year ago, the Lakers are closing in on signing a ninth, veteran guard Rajon Rondo.
Rondo signed with the Atlanta Hawks during free agency last season before being traded to the LA Clippers midway through the season. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason, and he is expected to be bought out of his contract.
If the move comes to fruition, it would be Rondo's second run with the Lakers. He played with the team in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, helping the Lakers win the championship in 2020.
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It's about more than familiarity for the Lakers, though, as this continues a franchise trend of loading up on experienced players.
If Rondo officially signs with the Lakers, he would join LeBron James, Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony, Marc Gasol and Dwight Howard as six of the 12 oldest players currently in the NBA.
Three of the team's other offseason acquisitions – Russell Westbrook, Wayne Ellington and Kent Bazemore – are at least 32 years old.
According to Chris Broussard, this makes Rondo signing with the Lakers a no-brainer, as he explained on "First Things First."
"He's 35 years old. He will be in his 16th season. He will fit right in with these old Lakers," Broussard said. "They are the oldest team in the league. They are one of the oldest teams we have ever seen. There are actually five Lakers older than Rondo, so this is perfect for the Lakers."
The average age of the Lakers' current roster is 32.4 years old, the oldest of any NBA team. But with age comes experience, and experience has proven to be key to winning championships.
Plus, Rondo has proven to be one of the savviest point guards of his generation, especially in the postseason, having also won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
In the 2020 postseason, Rondo averaged 8.9 points and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 40% from 3-point range.
His return to the Lakers could be a positive, as Shannon Sharpe pointed out on "Undisputed."
"Rondo was a starting point guard on a championship-winning team. He was a valuable role player on another championship-winning team," Sharpe said. "I think this is another opportunity for LeBron to stay off the ball even longer. You want to really manage LeBron's minutes, especially in the early part of the season."
There is no denying that the addition of Rondo to the Lakers would make them older, but it could also make them better.
And that is reason enough to welcome him back in purple and gold.
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