Cleveland Cavaliers guard Rajon Rondo is ready to “go to war” with his new teammates after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers.
#Cavs guard Rajon Rondo said that Darius Garland was the first one to reach out to him after the trade.
"He's definitely a hell of a talent. One of one. … With a talent like that, you're willing to go to war with them every night."
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) January 5, 2022
Rondo joined the Cavaliers after being traded for Denzel Valentine. He and Garland will have a lot of time to man the guard spot for Cleveland with Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton both out for the rest of the season.
Rondo had averaged 3.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game for the Lakers this season before being traded to Cleveland. His veteran experience will be helpful for a Cavaliers squad pushing for the postseason.
Garland is in his third season with the Cavaliers and recently cleared health and safety protocols. He finished with 27 points, 10 assists and four rebounds in his first game back against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
The young Cavaliers guard is averaging 19.7 points, 7.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game this season. With him back in the lineup, Cleveland will look to get back on track after a recent rough stretch.
The Cavaliers have lost five of their past seven games after the 110-106 loss to the Grizzlies on Tuesday. At 21-17, Cleveland is still in a good spot to push for a spot in the playoffs with plenty of games left to go.
Cleveland is kicking off a lengthy road trip on Friday with a matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz are both on deck for the upcoming road trip.