Acquiring top flight free agents in Los Angeles hasn’t been an easy task in recent memory from the Lakers. They haven’t brought in a big time free agent to Los Angeles since they stole Shaquille O’neal from the Orlando Magic.
The only other big name the Lakers have acquired worth mentioning since then has been Pau Gasol and he was acquired in a trade that involved his little brother. Please, don’t say ‘Swaggy P’ or Chris Kaman were big names the Lakers have signed in the offseason. I beg you.
This past offseason the ‘big names’ the Lakers got in free agency were Carlos Boozer coming off waivers from the Bulls and they signed Wayne Ellington, Wesley Johnson and Xavier Henry. Seriously, that’s all they got in the offseason.
They of course were chasing after LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh but as we all know, nothing came out of it.
Now it seems like the Lakers are going for it all. As the remaining career of Kobe Bryant is near its end, it appears that they will be going for one big name at the point guard position, Rajon Rondo.
Following from Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
The Lakers are not in the market for a guy who can make the team better; they need a bona fide star, the kind of player they thought they were getting when they traded for Dwight Howard in 2012. The Howard deal flopped, though, and the Lakers have been rudderless since. It could be Bryant’s final season, and the franchise does not want to send him off with yet another rebuilding year, though that might be in the best long-term interest of the team. Assuming the Lakers stay in win-soon mode, it is a safe bet that they will go hard after the two top point guards on the market, with Bryant’s pal Rajon Rondo at the head of the list and Goran Dragic behind him.
Rondo has been out to breakfast with Kobe and they have a prior relationship so that part of it makes this a no brainer. Looking beyond that though, the Heat seem to be confident that Goran Dragic will be staying with them this offseason. Both sides have talked about Dragic staying with Miami so it would be smart that the Lakers to give up on ‘The Dragon’ and go all-in on Rondo.
Rondo leaving the Mavericks is a situation that has been talked about seemingly since he was sent to Dallas. Rondo staying there wouldn’t be best for his game especially if Monta Ellis still remains on the team. They’re both ball dominant players that need the ball in their hands at all times. Those think the same goes for Kobe, try again. He needs a good point guard to take the ball out of his hands so he can move without the ball and set up the offense for him to do his thing.
Beyond that, locking Rondo up as the future center piece to build a team with him would also make sense. He can do a multitude of different things so seemingly placing him with any player that don’t require the ball in their hands the whole time would just work. Spot up shooters, pick and roll big men and just superstars in general can mesh well with a point guard that is one of the best passers in the league and is a proven floor general.
