Why The Lakers Should Trade For Rajon Rondo This Season

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Byron Scott has had the luxury of coaching great point guards like: Jason Kidd, Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving. Adding Rajon Rondo to his list of exceptional pupils would blend seamlessly into his style of coaching. The Lakers haven’t had a strong point guard for a while now and Rondo could be the guy who makes the Lakers offensive engine run. The ball seems to move well when Kobe is on the bench, but with Rondo he would demand the same while Kobe is on the floor. In fact it would work to the Lakers benefit that Rondo isn’t a great outside shooter. He would expect the Lakers to take better shots, closer to the basket by setting teammates up. It’s hard not to love a teammate who gets you the ball in optimal positions to score.

Back in the 2008 NBA Finals, Kobe and Rondo almost went to blows on the court, but that’s why he would be a great fit as Bryant’s teammate. Like Metta World Peace and Matt Barnes before him, Rajon Rondo’s competitive fire is instant admiration for Kobe. Bryant loves to go into battle with teammates who are willing to fight him. If they don’t back down to Kobe, he wants to roll with them. Kendrick Perkins, known as a grouch, reminds us of Kobe’s scowl during the playoffs. If Perkins is one of the Rondo’s best friends in the league, there’s potential for Rondo and Kobe to mesh. They’ve already bonded through affectionately referring to one another as “a–holes.”

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Rondo is entering the prime of his career and after winning a ring, the last thing he wants to do is go through a rebuild. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry isn’t what it used to be, so switching jerseys from green to gold wouldn’t be terribly difficult. Rondo could be the point guard of the future for the Lakers and instead of waiting until free agency, the Lakers should trade for him now.

The Celtics have been dangling him for some time and if you’re Boston, wouldn’t you rather get something in return, such as Jeremy Lin, a serviceable back-up and nearby Harvard graduate plus a first round pick (from Houston) than lose Rondo for nothing to the highest bidder? Even if Boston doesn’t want to re-sign Lin after trading for him, they can let Jeremy walk and still draft a young player in the off-season. The Lakers can’t roll the dice strictly in free agency next off-season, so if they can deal for Rajon Rondo, they significantly increase their chances to recruit free agents in 2015 with a core of Kobe, Randle, Young and Rondo.

Make it happen, Mitch!

Remember When Kobe Bryant Called Rajon Rondo An A–Hole?