If not for the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks, the Chicago Bulls would play host to the Eastern Conference’s most bizarre slop fest.
Chief among their issues is an inability to hash out a regular point guard rotation. Rajon Rondo was playing, then he wasn’t, but now he is again, as a member of the bench. It’s all so confusing—particularly in light of recent events, which included Rondo jabbing at Jimmy Butler’s and Dwyane Wade’s unflattering postgame comments directed at the team’s youngings (all three were fined, by the way).
For those wondering if the Bulls are prepared to cut their losses and buy out Rondo’s contract, the answer, according to the Chicago Tribune‘s K.C. Johnson, is no…at least for now:
https://twitter.com/KCJHoop/status/825193727329173505
No team is going to trade for Rondo in hopes of making him their franchise point guard. But his $14 million salary is good for matching purposes, and his $13.4 million cap hit for next season is non-guaranteed. A team can, in theory, offload a longer-term contract on the Bulls then create wiggle room this summer by waiving Rondo.
In the event no team comes calling before the Feb. 23 trade deadline, the Bulls could change their stance. But they could also let it ride. They aren’t winning a championship this season and have no other viable solution at the 1 aside from Michael Carter-Williams and Jerian Grant.
At the same time, the Bulls’ offensive output goes virtually unchanged with and without Rondo, and he’s been a demonstrative defensive minus, according to NBA.com. If they can’t get any takers as part of a larger deal, it may be in their best interests to make him a free agent now.
Then again, his non-guaranteed salary next season will remain an asset into the offseason, depending on when they must guarantee his salary, so there’s a better-than-good chance Rondo wraps 2016-17 as a member of the Bulls if all is quiet at the trade deadline.
