The rumors continue to swirl in terms of what the Los Angeles Lakers will do this summer once NBA free agency gets underway. Many believe the Lakers will likely find it difficult to land a big-name like Marc Gasol or LaMarcus Aldridge, but might be able to pry Rajon Rondo away from the Dallas Mavericks.
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According to ESPN’s Max Kellerman, Rondo will be signing with the Lakers this summer. Kellerman bases his information from a trusted source and broke the news on his radio show Max & Marcellus on 710 ESPN saying the following:
“As I heard from people who would know told me a couple months ago that [Rajon] Rondo is mortal, about a month ago, that Rondo is a mortal lock to sign with the Lakers.”
Kellerman went on to elaborate a bit on his comments and the source in which he heard it from, via 710 ESPN:
“Marcellus, when I first heard that Rondo was coming to L.A., which he is, it was about a month ago and a friend of mine who knows, who is in the business, said it is a mortal lock that the Lakers will sign Rajon Rondo. I’m not going to mention his name, but it is a very reliable source who has his ear to the ground.”
With the majority of the other big-name players set to hit the open market this summer likely staying put, Rondo heading to Los Angeles on a max deal seems to be a likely scenario. Kobe Bryant is a fan of Rondo and has expressed his intention to recruit the one-time NBA champion this summer until the former Boston Celtics guard makes his decision.
Kobe’s recruitment along with the Lakers potentially offering a max deal might be enough to lure in the four-time NBA All-Star, but anything can happen between now and July. The Lakers may land a point guard in the draft or could be sold on rookie Jordan Clarkson being the right man for the job as starting floor general.
It’d be safe to say that where the Lakers end up in the standings on April 15 and the NBA draft lottery on May 19 will determine the team’s direction moving forward. A pick in the top three could have the Lakers taking a frontcourt player like Duke’s Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns, but the fourth or fifth pick might have them leaning in the direction of Emmanuel Mudiay or Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell.
Highly doubt the free-agent signing of Rondo is set in stone at this point, but if things fall apart in terms of losing the draft pick or the team taking a frontcourt player, it’s very possible Rondo is wearing purple and gold next season.
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