Rajon Rondo, a two-time NBA champion and a familiar face to Pelicans fans, has suddenly jumped into the frame in New Orleans' hunt for a new head coach. League insiders say the team quietly widened its search for potential hires as soon as a disappointing season wrapped, and the Rondo buzz is picking up just as the Pelicans prepare a formal search under revamped basketball-operations leadership.
Stein and Fischer Put Rondo in the Picture
Veteran NBA reporters Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have spotlighted Rondo as one of several names in New Orleans' coaching sweepstakes, reporting that Rondo and San Antonio assistant Sean Sweeney "emerged" in early conversations. League sources told the reporters that Rondo has already spoken with Pelicans staff, according to ClutchPoints.
Rondo’s Recent Sideline Work With Doc Rivers
Rondo's only substantive sideline experience came last season, when he joined Doc Rivers' Milwaukee staff as a guest and special assistant, working in training camp and leading film sessions. Rivers told ESPN that "you'll see him a lot," a detail chronicled by the Boston Globe.
A Familiar Face and a Steep Learning Curve
On paper, Rondo's résumé is strong. He won NBA titles with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers and is widely regarded as an elite floor general, per Wikipedia. He also spent one season in New Orleans and was part of the Pelicans' 2018 first-round run that swept Portland, according to CBS Sports.
Pelicans' Search and Front-Office Shake-Up
The franchise has opened a formal head-coach search with executive vice president Joe Dumars overseeing the process after he announced Willie Green’s dismissal in November, according to NBA.com/AP. Local reporting says the organization has already made sweeping operations changes, including letting more than two dozen basketball-operations staffers go, and that interim coach James Borrego remains a candidate while being viewed as a long shot, per WDSU.
What a Rondo Hire Would Look Like
Hiring Rondo would be a nontraditional move that leans on locker-room credibility and basketball IQ rather than a long résumé of assistant stops, and it would almost certainly require experienced deputies to handle rotations and the day-to-day workload. New Orleans is also talking to veteran assistants such as Darvin Ham and other experienced bench voices as it considers options for the top job, according to HoopsRumors. League observers say the Pelicans are weighing how a potential first-time head coach like Rondo could be paired with seasoned assistants to balance out the staff, per Bleacher Report.
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