The Los Angeles Lakers have had their eye on former All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo all year long. Kobe Bryant, the face of their franchise, wants him on the team, and there have been reports that the Lakers will prioritize the acquisition of Rondo this offseason in free agency.
Rondo had some fantastic seasons during his tenure with the Boston Celtics. He made the All-Star team 4 times. He also lead the NBA in assists twice and steals once.
However, questions have been raised about Rondo and his attitude during his time in Dallas, particularly after his clashes with head coach Rick Carlisle and a sudden benching in the playoffs that would later be attributed to a “back injury.”
The Lakers’ interest in Rondo has been somewhat dissuaded. Early in the season, there was talk that he may receive a max contract offer from Jim Buss and co. However, Rondo raised red flags with his play and attitude during the season, and the Lakers are no longer willing to dish out anywhere near that amount of money for him.
From Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding:
“So there remains a distinct possibility in today’s space-and-shoot NBA that the Los Angeles Lakers will be the torchbearers for the old school and sign the pass-first (nay, pass-only) Rondo to a free-agent contract this summer.
But what should be made clear, according to team sources, is that Buss is not the believer he was earlier in the season when it comes to Rondo, and Kupchak is toting enough healthy skepticism that he sees Rondo as value only at a certain low price.”
Ding also added that the Lakers are not convinced that Rondo would be a “foundational piece” for the team.
The Lakers’ skepticism is not unwarranted. Rondo has given them reason to have doubts about signing him, and that will affect his paycheck. Rondo has pretty much given up all hope of signing a max contract this summer with any team. If the Lakers do sign him, it will be interesting to see how much they will be willing to pay him.
