Bulls Reportedly Considered Buying Out Rajon Rondo's Contract After Instagram Post

The Chicago Bulls reportedly considered parting ways with Rajon Rondo.

Jeremy Brevard
USA Today Sports

Image via USA Today Sports

Jeremy Brevard

Things are not going very well for the Chicago Bulls as a whole, or Rajon Rondo as an individual. When Rondo signed a 2-year, $28 million contract with the Bulls this offseason, there were a lot of basketball fans wondering, huh?

Their confusion has been justified this year, as Rondo just hasn't really fit. In December he got into a "heated exchange" with one of his coaches, but his out-of-placeness has especially come to the surface this week.

See, after the Bulls suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Atlanta Hawks, their stars Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler called out their teammates. Wade and Butler both said their teammates didn't "want to win." It was probably a calculated challenge to fire up the team, but Rondo didn't take too kindly to it.

In response, he posted an Instagram that dripped with shade, negatively comparing the leadership of Wade and Butler with that of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, Rondo's teammates on the 2008 Boston Celtics championship squad.

As you might expect, it appears the Bulls sided with Wade and Butler. What you might not expect, though, is just how upset management proved to be. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls seriously considered buying out Rondo's contract and letting him walk away from the team. The Bulls would have to pay Rondo his full $14 million this year, plus $3 million next year.

Bulls General Manager Gar Forman had some thoughts about this whole debacle.

Forman: we were extremely disappointed several players chose to speak out. Every team has issues. Important to keep in house. Unacceptable."
Forman said it was handled internally, the players who spoke out were talked to. He didn't take questions

There is some logic behind letting Rondo go. The Bulls are underachieving big-time and are in need of a culture shift. 

Rondo is only putting up 6.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. Though he's a veteran and could provide leadership at the point in the playoffs, considering how things are going, you have to wonder whether Chicago might be better suited looking for a PG in a trade or handing the reins over to Michael Carter-Williams.

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