Rajon Rondo took a savage swing at the two best players on the Chicago Bulls, slamming Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler for their leadership after those two called out younger players on the team for not caring. Rondo basically said they were no Kevin Garnett or Paul Pierce.
All that motivation didn’t change the Bulls’ fortunes, they got thrashed at home by the suddenly hot Miami Heat.
In some cases, what Rondo did and his level of play would have a team looking to buy him out and get him out of the locker room, but that’s not the plan in Chicago, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Also, there are no plans to buy out Rajon Rondo, per source. Beyond fact he's playing well/acting professionally, contract is trade chip.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2017
The key line here is Rondo is a trade chip — there is zero chance they buy him out before the Feb. 23 trade deadline.
After the deadline? That question remains open. The sense around the league is the Bulls are leaning toward a buyout, but if the situation improves in Chicago or if his play is key to the team keeping that final playoff slot in the East, then the Bulls may well keep him. That’s a decision that doesn’t need to be made for another month.
