LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers are trading veteran guard Rajon Rondo to Cleveland, a source with knowledge of the deal has confirmed to The Los Angeles Times. The Lakers are expected to receive guard Denzel Valentine in return, though he'll likely be released.
Final terms are still being discussed.
By trading Rondo, the Lakers will create an empty roster spot that they could fill by signing wing Stanley Johnson or veteran guard Darren Collison, both of whom have joined the team on 10-day hardship contracts.
As the Lakers clear out of the COVID-19 outbreak they've been in for most of the last two weeks, the team needed to shuffle some roster spots if they wanted to keep Johnson or Collison.
Rondo, 35, has played in 18 games this season after signing in the summer with a spoken knowledge that his role would largely be in the background. However, after Cleveland lost guard Ricky Rubio to a season-ending knee injury earlier this week, an opportunity to contribute to an ascending team with the Cavaliers presented itself.
The Lakers host Portland on Friday night.
