Last week, the Boston Celtics traded long-time point guard Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks. Numerous teams had contacted the Celtics in trying to acquire Rondo, including the Los Angeles Lakers.
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The two teams were unable to come to an agreement and according to Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports, that was because the Lakers refused to part with rookie Julius Randle:
The Lakers and Celtics had mutual interest for a Rajon Rondo deal, but the Lakers weren’t willing to give up injured rookie Julius Randle, a source said.
The Lakers unwillingness to give up Randle in a deal for Rondo, who is an unrestricted free agent after this season, makes perfect sense. Though he will miss the rest of this season, the Lakers view Randle as a big part of their future.
If the Celtics refused to do the deal without Randle being included, it would explain why the Lakers did not make the trade. The team had reportedly offered the expiring contract of Steve Nash, the Houston Rockets’ first round draft pick and a second round draft pick. Adding Randle to that package would have been too much to surrender.
A player of Rondo’s talent will usually require a lot in order to bring him in. The Lakers were not willing to meet the Celtics’ demands and if those demands really did include Randle, the Lakers probably made the right choice.
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