The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be major players in NBA free agency this summer. The storied franchise is desperately hoping to revamp the roster this off-season with some big-name free agents set to be targeted by Los Angeles.
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The consensus seems to be Rajon Rondo is the most likely player to sign with the Lakers come July. Although Rondo might be the main target, Greg Monroe and Kevin Love appear willing to meet with the team, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders:
So real money, let’s peg the Lakers at $22.1 million to play with, that’s enough for one serious max contract to an established veteran like Monroe, Rondo or Love – and all three are said to be willing to meet with the Lakers this summer.
Rondo and Monroe will become unrestricted free agents this July, but Love will have a player option with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although there’s been doubts about whether Love truly wants to stay with the Cavs, it seems likely he’ll continue to be apart of the superstar trio in Cleveland.
Love’s stance may change this summer and the Lakers will almost certainly do their best to pair him with another star player if that happens. In the meantime, Love continuing to play alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving appears to be the most likely scenario.
As for Monroe, the star forward/center may end up staying with the Detroit Pistons long-term. All signs pointed to Monroe heading elsewhere before Stan Van Gundy came to town. Now Detroit seems to have some direction and a new star in Reggie Jackson for Monroe to play alongside moving forward.
At this point in time, Rondo still remains the most likely free agent to sign with the Lakers in the off-season. The one-time NBA champion has struggled during his short time with the Dallas Mavericks and may have wanted to be in Los Angeles all along.
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