Less than three weeks away from the return of the NBA season, The Lakers will be without their veteran point guard Rajon Rondo. According to reports, Rondo suffered a significant hand injury in practice on Sunday and will miss the first 6-8 weeks of the season.
Writer for The Athletic, Shams Charania, reported that Rondo is suffering from a fractured right thumb that will require surgery. The 34-year-old one-time NBA champion was playing a sixth man role for the Lakers this season averaging seven points and five assists per game.
Given the timeline for recovery, Rondo may not return until the Playoffs begin. The Lakers currently hold first place in the Western Conference. With Rondo out, that could allow for more minutes for rising star Alex Caruso who has shown flashes of excellence throughout the season.
This was Rondo’s second season with the Los Angeles Lakers. After signing a 1-year $9 million deal last year, the former Kentucky Wildcat re-signed with the team in a 2-year $2.6 million deal.