The Los Angeles Lakers were able to conquer the bubble, and the field in the NBA Playoffs.
Their next challenge will be free agency.
The Athletic reported Thursday that guards Rajon Rondo and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are expected to decline player options — worth $2.7 million and $8.5 million respectively — for the 2020-21 season.
Also on Thursday, The Athletic reported that center Anthony Davis plans to opt out of his $28.7 million player option for next season and re-sign with the Lakers.
Both Caldwell-Pope and Rondo could re-sign with the Lakers, as Los Angeles may look to keep most of its core intact after winning its 17th NBA championship on Sunday.
Caldwell-Pope, 27, just finished his seventh NBA season, and third with the Lakers. He’s averaged 11.6 points per game during his 539-game NBA career, and this season shot a personal best 38.5 percent from 3-point range. Caldwell-Pope was L.A.’s third-leading scorer in The Finals with 12.8 points per game, checking in behind superstars LeBron James and Davis.
Rondo, a four-time All-Star and now two-time NBA champion, also helped his stock in the playoffs as he became the Lakers’ second-best distributor and gave James a break from orchestrating the offense.
Rondo, 34, has averaged 10.2 points and 8.3 assists per game over his 14-year NBA career, which has spanned six different franchises including the Boston Celtics (2006-14), the Dallas Mavericks (2014-15), the Sacramento Kings (2015-16), the Chicago Bulls (2016-17), the New Orleans Pelicans (2017-18) and the Lakers (2018-20).
