Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo had successful surgery on his fractured right thumb Wednesday, according to the team.
Rondo’s timeline to return to full basketball activities remains six to eight weeks.
Earlier this week, Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the team still expects Rondo to be “part of our playoff run.” Vogel said Rondo’s return would likely come somewhere between the first and second rounds of the playoffs.
Rondo is the second guard the Lakers have lost since the NBA restart was announced. Starting shooting guard Avery Bradley opted out of Orlando, citing family concerns about the coronavirus along with keeping his focus on social injustices facing his community. The Lakers signed JR Smith to replace Bradley.
They are not allowed to bring in a replacement player for Rondo while he is out, per NBA rules. Vogel said there will an “open competition” to fill Bradley’s role in the starting unit but that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the favorite. L.A. went 17-3 with Caldwell-Pope as a starter this season.