CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired guard Rajon Rondo from the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team trade, Cavs General Manager Koby Altman announced Monday. The move addresses the team's need at guard with Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton both out for the season.
Rondo played in 18 games for the Lakers this season. During his 16-year NBA career, he has played in 936 games, with 732 starts with the Lakers, Clippers, Hawks, Pelicans, Bulls, Kings, Mavericks and Celtics.
Rondo’s spot on the team will help fill in the gap left by Rubio, who had been having a strong season coming off the bench, but has now been ruled out the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
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Rondo led the league in assists three times — in 2012, 2013 and 2016. He has averaged 9.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8 assists and 1.6 steals in his career. His 7,481 assists rank 14th all-time in NBA history.
As a two-time NBA champion in 2008 and 2020, and a four-time NBA All-Star, Rondo has appeared in 136 playoff games and has been named to the NBA's All-Defensive Team four times.
Rondo will wear No. 1 with the Cavaliers.
The three-team deal includes the New York Knicks acquiring guard Denzel Valentine, who signed with the Cavs on Sept. 22, 2021 and appeared in 22 games this season. The Knicks also acquired the draft rights to Wang Zhelin and Brad Newley and cash considerations from the Lakers.
The Lakers will receive the draft rights to Louis Labeyrie from New York.
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