Lakers' Rondo to undergo thumb surgery, expected out 6-8 weeks

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo suffered a broken thumb at practice and will undergo surgery this week, the team announced.

The Lakers are preparing for the NBA's restart at the end of the month in Orlando.

It's been reported that Rondo will miss 6-to-8 weeks.

The Lakers were already missing guard Avery Bradley, who opted out of the return to the season. They signed veteran guard J.R. Smith to help replace the loss of Bradley. They also added Dion Waters to the backcourt shortly before the NBA suspended the season in March.

Led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers held the best record in the Western Conference at the hiatus.

But some are wondering if a loss of true homecourt advantage and the team's overall age will hinder them at the restart. The loss of Rondo early will be a loss of a veteran who has "been there," an element of the Lakers that is considered one of their major advantages.

Each of the 22 teams in Orlando will play eight "seeding" games before the playoffs. The Finals are scheduled to end no later than Oct. 13.