Rajon Rondo
Before you talk about how good of a passer Rajon Rondo is and how much the Lakers need his veteran presence in the playoffs, let me tell you this. Rajon Rondo is not good at the game of basketball anymore.
However, he is good at maintaining a locker room at this stage of his career, which is a very valuable asset for a team like the Lakers. He is on this team for a reason and that is to be a leader. Unfortunately for Rondo, that does not mean a leader on the court.
The Lakers have an ample amount of guards who can play the point with some semblance of defensive ability, which makes Rondo expendable.
Rondo is currently averaging 20.5 minutes per night in which he is contributing 7.1 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Lakers. Rondo ranks as one of the worst players in the league in D-PIPM for a coach in Frank Vogel who prides himself on being defensive-minded.
Rondo will lose playing time and while he might play a few minutes in the playoffs, he will not be a primary piece to the puzzle.