Winners and losers from Cavs trade for Rajon Rondo
The Cleveland Cavaliers have benefited from one of the most overlooked yet valuable realities of good teams: 48 solid minutes of point guard play. Having two (or more) competent ball-handlers and play initiators is a must in the NBA, and with Darius Garland and Ricky Rubio the Cavs were always led by a talented and capable point guard.
That reality was torn apart this week as Rubio tore his ACL and will be out for the season. Especially with Garland sitting out in health and safety protocols, the glaring need for another point guard on the roster was put in stark relief. How would the Cavs fill the void?
The Cavs have traded Denzel Valentine to the Lakers for Rajon Rondo to replace Ricky Rubio. Who are the winners and losers from the deal?
While they could have elected to look in-house at some potential options for the rotation or to take on playmaking duties, in the end the Cavs decided to look outside the organization. After the deal was first reported on Thursday night, on Friday morning it became official: the Cavs were trading Denzel Valentine to the Los Angeles Lakers for Rajon Rondo.
ESPN Sources: The Cavaliers have agreed to trade Denzel Valentine to the Lakers to acquire Rajon Rondo. The Lakers are expected to waive Valentine’s partially-guaranteed deal and create an open roster spot.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 31, 2021
Let’s run through some instant reactions to the trade. Who are the winners and losers from the deal?