Los Angeles Lakers To Target Rajon Rondo In Free Agency In 2015

Barring any major roster change or immediate improvement by anyone from their current roster it looks like Los Angeles Lakers are on their way to lottery once again. With a 0-5 win-loss record in the 2014-2015 NBA Season, word from around the National Basketball Association (NBA) front offices is that the Hollywood squad is already preparing to target Rajon Rondo, currently with the Boston Celtics, in the much-anticipated 2015 free agency.

“There is one player who makes sense in LA next season: Rajon Rondo. Several rival executives believe the Lakers will make a strong run at Rondo next summer, and it’s easy to see why. Rondo is young (28), plays a critical position and shares the same win-at-all-bleeping-cost attitude as Bryant,” Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated wrote on Thursday claiming that Rondo is in the Lakers’ radar in 2015. The Boston Celtics star point guard averages excellent all-around numbers of 9.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 12.5 assists in four games so far this season.

Pairing Rondo with veteran star Kobe Bryant appears a good fit for the Los Angeles Lakers, which has two good prospects at the PG spot, Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson, but is widely valued as back-up PGs by most basketball pundits. The Lakers lost 40-year-old Steve Nash to injury earlier in the 2014-2015 season and most likely, to retirement due to recurring back issues.

Rondo signed a five-year $55 million deal with the Celtics before the 2010-2011 season. The deal is set to expire after the 2014-2015 season and he is expected to demand a maximum contract worth around $15M per season— something the Lakers can offer considering they only have one high-salaried player in Kobe Bryant, who will be paid $25M in the 2015-2016 season.

The Lakers will have a few players with significant salaries off the books after 2015. Nash ($9.7M), Lin ($8.37M) and Carlos Boozer ($3.25M) are in the final year of their respective deals, and their total salary is more than enough to make cap space for a target like Rondo.

If the Los Angeles Lakers fail to land Rajon Rondo, there are other worthy free agents available in 2015. Some players potentially available via free agency include LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers), Patrick Beverley (Houston Rockets), Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls), Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks), Luol Deng (Miami Heat), Goran Dragic (Phoenix Suns), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies), Rudy Gay (Sacramento Kings) and Al Jefferson (Charlotte Hornets) among many others.