Mario Hezonja
The Portland Trail Blazers receive: Rajon Rondo
The Los Angeles Lakers receive: Mario Hezonja
For a team with such high championship aspirations, the Portland Trail Blazers are shockingly shallow at the point guard position. Yes, they do have one of the best point guards in the league in Damian Lillard, however, should Lillard go down with even a minor injury, the Trail Blazers would be devoid of playmaking outside of CJ McCollum.
While Rajon Rondo isn’t exactly an ideal fit for the Blazers, he would offer a safe pair of hands to Portland.
In Rajon Rondo, you get a pure point guard, whose sole purpose is to get his teammates the ball when they are open.
While Rondo has been a hot and cold defender over the last couple of years, when he is locked in, he can be a disruptive defender for any point guard in the league.
One area in which Rondo has improved over the years is his 3-point shooting. Last season with the purple and gold, Rondo knocked down 35.9% from the 3-point line. While he is by no means a sharpshooter from the 3-point line, he is now at least capable of hitting an open 3-point shot.
In Hezonja, the Los Angeles Lakers get potential. While this might not be ideal either for the purple and gold, it does open up opportunities for the Lakers not just at the small forward spot.
With the likes of Quinn Cook, Alex Caruso and Avery Bradley all capable of playing the point guard spot, having Rondo on the team has the potential to disrupt rather than help.
With Hezonja, having him surrounded by players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis might give him the added motivation to reach his potential.
It is not too soon to call Mario Hezonja a bust, as he has not lived up to being the 5th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. There is a real possibility that Hezonja’s time in the NBA might be numbered.
If Mario can come to the Lakers, learn from some of the best in the business and improve as a player, he as the potential to be a solid contributor for the purple and gold.
If he doesn’t his time in the could be over.