Lakers News: L.A. Still Want To Sign Rajon Rondo Despite Landing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Trevor Lane
3 Min Read
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

After a week and a half of patiently waiting for the market to settle, the Los Angeles Lakers finally landed a free agent when they came to an agreement with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a one-year deal reportedly worth $18 million. Since they want to be major players in free agency next summer, the Lakers had limited themselves to signing one-year deals that won’t eat into their 2018 cap space. Caldwell-Pope is a major addition, and the Lakers may not be done, as they are now working to find a way to bring in veteran guard Rajon Rondo.

Rondo and the Lakers have danced around each other for the last few years, with Los Angeles seemingly always in the mix to sign the polarizing point guard whenever he is on the market. This time around though, the talks seem a bit more substantive. While the Lakers will technically be out of cap space after signing Caldwell-Pope, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN is reporting that they are still looking for ways to add Rondo:

While Caldwell-Pope is a young player who presumably slots into the Los Angeles starting lineup at shooting guard, Rondo would be brought in to serve as a veteran mentor for rookie point guard Lonzo Ball. In theory, Rondo would come in off the bench to spell Ball and would also act as a tutor of sorts, teaching him the tricks of the trade.

While some have questioned whether Rondo is the best fit for such a role, many of the young players on Rondo’s previous team, the Chicago Bulls, praised his leadership. It’s a bit of a gamble for the young Lakers, but they do need more veteran voices, and if Rondo can perform at the same level he hit in last season’s playoffs, then this could be a move that really pays off.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com