Rajon Rondo and Kobe Bryant were spotted eating breakfast together in Boston and it almost broke Twitter. Reports of Kobe trying to recruit Rondo hit the airwaves, but both players shrugged it off. The rumors do have some truth to them because Rondo is an unrestricted free agent this summer and if the Celtics really valued him as their franchise player, he would be locked up by now. Danny Ainge can deny Rondo’s availability, but once Ray Allen departed for the Heat years ago, then Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were traded, Rajon is the only star left from the 2008 NBA Champion team. When the Celtics drafted Marcus Smart as their future point guard, the writing was on the wall for Rondo.
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Jeremy Lin plus this year’s first round pick from the Houston Rockets for Rajon Rondo.
But is Rondo worth a max contract? There are also no guarantees he will re-sign with the Lakers if traded for. Rondo is a poor outside shooter and his free throw percentage is simply laughable at 30 percent (somewhere Shaq is smiling about that). When Doc Rivers was Boston’s coach, he often butted heads with Rondo labeling him as stubborn. Even when the Celtics won the title in 2008, the Big Three (Garnett, Pierce and Allen) didn’t always get along with him. In fact, Rondo’s closest teammate, Kendrick Perkins, was traded soon after adding to the chip on Rajon’s shoulder. The Lakers need a point guard who can distribute the ball, yet add scoring also. Rondo can get to the hoop, but when defenses pack it in on him, he’s not a threat from outside the key. He’s coming off a series of injuries and there’s question how legitimate his last hand fracture was. The Celtics are in the process of rebuilding, but is Rondo a part of their future?
Remember When Kobe Bryant Called Rajon Rondo An A–Hole?
CONTINUE READING: Why The Lakers Should Trade For Rajon Rondo This Season
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.
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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!
[divide]Remember When Kobe Bryant Called Rajon Rondo An A–Hole?