Rajon Rondo hoping Bulls pick up his option for next season

It may have seemed ridiculous just a few months ago, but Rajon Rondo wants to stay with the Chicago Bulls beyond this season.

Speaking before the Bulls played the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday, the four-time All-Star point guard said he hopes he gets his team option picked up for next season, even if Dwyane Wade opt out, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

Does Rondo hope Bulls pick up his option? "Yeah. I like where I’m at. I think we have a really good team."

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 18, 2017

Would Rondo prefer Bulls pick up his option even if Wade opts out? "Yes," Rondo said.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 18, 2017

Rondo had a poor statistical season with just 7.8 points and 6.7 assists per game on an ugly 40.8 percent from the field. He was demoted by the team at the start of the calendar year and resorted to taking passive-aggressive shots at his teammates on social media. But he slowly worked his way back into the Bulls’ good graces, and Wade’s elbow injury towards the end of the regular season opened the door for Rondo to return to the starting lineup, where he has remained now that the playoffs have begun. Rondo also seems to have a good mentorship dynamic with the team’s younger players, so it’s quite the dramatic 180 after he looked like a goner in Chicago for much of the year.