Rajon Rondo Expected To Miss 4-5 Weeks

12:17pm: Rondo underwent surgery today to repair a ligament in his right ring finger, the Lakers announced in a press release. He’s expected to make a full recovery in about four or five weeks, according to the team.

11:03am: A frustrating season for Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo has taken another unfortunate turn, as the finger injury he suffered earlier this week will require surgery, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links). According to Charania, Rondo is expected to miss about four weeks of action after undergoing the procedure on his right hand.

That right hand has been banged up for much of the 2018/19 season, as Rondo already missed a month due to a separate surgical procedure on the hand. He had been back on the court for just three games before being sidelined again, and has appeared in only 14 total games for the Lakers so far this season.

With Rondo likely out of action until late January, the Lakers will be without two of their veteran leaders for the short term. LeBron James is battling a strained groin, and while the team is calling him day-to-day, he’s reportedly expected to miss at least a few games.

In the absence of Rondo and James, the Lakers will lean more heavily on point guard Lonzo Ball and forward Brandon Ingram. Both youngsters played well in Los Angeles’ loss to the Kings on Thursday night — Ingram posted 22 points, while Ball nearly had a triple-double (20 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds).