Rajon Rondo rips teammates Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler

The Bulls are likely going to need to trade Rajon Rondo, and soon, judging by what he just posted on Instagram about the team’s veteran leaders.

Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler have voiced their opinions about the team’s effort level and lack of success on the court, and understandably so. There’s too much talent on that roster to have a 23-24 record, and this is the time of year when the team can turn it around, before it’s too late. They can still hit their stride.

Well, Rajon Rondo was not happy that his teammates went public with their opinions, and didn’t keep the criticism in-house. He went off on them in an Instagram rant on Thursday.

In case you can’t read it clearly, here’s the full text from his post:

My vets would never go to the media. They would come to the team. My vets didn’t pick and choose when they wanted to bring it. They brought it every time they stepped in the gym whether it was practice or a game. They didn’t take days off. My vets didn’t care about their numbers. My vets played for the team. When we lost, they wouldn’t blame us. They took responsibility and got in the gym. They showed the young guys what it meant to work. Even in Boston when we had the best record in the league, if we lost a game, you could hear a pin drop on the bus. They showed us the seriousness of the game. My vets didn’t have an influence on the coaching staff. They couldn’t change the plan because it didn’t work for them. I played under one of the greatest coaches, and he held everyone accountable. It takes 1-15 to win. When you isolate everyone, you can’t win consistently. I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a bad teammate. My goal is to pass what I learned along. The young guys work. They show up. They don’t deserve blame. If anything is questionable, it’s the leadership.

There’s a lot to process there, but “I’m not a bad teammate” sticks out to me. Given that Rondo was traded out of Boston due to his off-court attitude and nearly fighting head coach Doc Rivers in the locker room, that statement appears to be subjective, at best.

Furthermore, it’s not a good look to come out and rip Wade and Butler. Hopefully the team can hash this out in a players-only meeting, but what seems more likely is to trade Rondo, and soon. This statement seems like a plea to be moved to another team.