It was an up-and-down first year in Chicago for Rajon Rondo, who found himself in the starting lineup at times, and on the bench at other times. However, with the Bulls in the playoffs and holding their own so far against the No. 1 Celtics, Rondo said today that he hopes the club picks up its option on his contract for next season, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
“I like where I’m at. I think we have a really good team,” Rondo said of the Bulls. “We made a big trade halfway through the season. All the things this year with 45 different lineups, we still made it to the playoffs.”
Rondo’s deal calls for a salary worth more than $13MM next season, but currently only $3MM of that figure is guaranteed. As Johnson notes, the veteran point guard said today that he’d like to be back with the Bulls even if Dwyane Wade opts out of his contract this summer.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Appearing on Larry King Now on Sunday, Heat big man Chris Bosh – who missed the entire 2016/17 season due to blood clot issues – reiterated that he hasn’t closed the door on attempting an NBA comeback. Bosh also said that he doesn’t have any real interest in coaching basketball after he officially retires as a player. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel has the details and the quotes from Bosh.
- James Johnson referred to Miami as “home” on Monday, and the Heat‘s other key free agent, Dion Waiters, also also expressed a desire to stay put this offseason, as Shandel Richardson of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Still, Waiters acknowledged that he “can’t predict the future,” so it remains to be seen what his free agency holds.
- Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders examines the Magic‘s search for a new general manager, noting that current Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard and former Pacers exec David Morway have both been mentioned by league sources as possible candidates for the Magic. Orlando head coach Frank Vogel worked with both Pritchard and Morway in Indiana.
- Asked by Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype about his upcoming free agency, Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko suggested that he’s “not closing any doors,” but he isn’t sure yet what his future holds.
This series makes me miss Rondo so much.