Lost in the shuffle of the College Football Playoff semifinals and all of the New Year’s Eve regalia, Rajon Rondo didn’t play a single minute in the Bulls 116-96 loss to Milwaukee, and he’s obviously not pleased with the situation.
“[General manager Gar Forman] and I will talk,” Rondo told reporters after the game. “We’re going to talk tonight and we’ll go from there.”
Rondo hasn’t played since an 11-minute stint against Indiana on Friday, when he went scoreless and was generally ineffective. Michael Carter-Williams has taken most of his minutes.
Here’s what coach Fred Hoiberg said about the situation, per ESPN:
“We’ll continue to evaluate it, see what direction we go,” Hoiberg said. “He was great over there on the bench, cheering for guys, and being professional. We’ll see how it plays out and we’ll evaluate it again before the next one.”
Rondo was suspended for a game earlier this season for conduct detrimental to the team, and after starting his first 29 games with the team, averaging 7.2 points per game and 7.1 assists per game, his performance has fallen off a cliff, though the Bulls haven’t necessarily been better off without him, especially since Carter-Williams has also been ineffective.
“[Hoiberg] told me that I’ve been looking slow the last five games,” Rondo said. “He asks me all the time, ‘Am I healthy?’ I responded, saying that I think this is the best I’ve ever felt this part of the season, so we’ll see how it goes.”
The Bulls and Rondo might be receptive to a trade, but pulling one off could be difficult. Rondo is currently signed to a two-year, $28.1 million contract, which with his recent form, as well as baggage from his previous stops, may make a trade impossible.
