NBA Rumors: Rajon Rondo ‘Wants To Return’ To L.A. Lakers In Free Agency, Per ‘L.A. Times’ Broderick Turner
After missing the Western Conference Playoffs for the sixth straight year, the Los Angeles Lakers became more aggressive in surrounding LeBron James with a better supporting cast in the 2019 NBA offseason. The Lakers recently made a huge step forward when they traded Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for All-Star center Anthony Davis. After the successful acquisition of Davis, the Lakers are now focused on acquiring another superstar who will be available on the free agency market next July.
If the Anthony Davis blockbuster deal will be completed on July 6 and “The Brow” declines to void his trade kicker, the Lakers will only have approximately $23.8 million to spend in the 2019 NBA free agency. Instead of targeting an incoming free agent superstar, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN revealed that the Lakers may consider using their salary cap space to bring in “multiple players,” which would not be a bad idea since they currently don’t have a starting five.
In an appearance on Mornings with Keyshawn, LZ and Travis on ESPN 710, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times opened up the possibility that the Lakers may try bringing back Rajon Rondo, who reportedly “wants to return” to Los Angeles for another season. However, before giving Rondo a new contract, the Lakers will first want to look at other NBA players who will also be hitting the free agency market this summer.
“In the case of Rondo, because he played for them last season, he would be difficult for them to bring back,” Turner said, as quoted by SB Nation’s Silver Screen And Roll. “I think first they want to look to other players, like Seth Curry, for example. Someone like that. There’s a lot of guys out there that they would look at, but Rondo is the one that I’m sure they want to bring him back because he played with AD in New Orleans, he played with LeBron James, he improved as a 3-point shooter, and he’s a leader, and he’s a winner, and he wants to return.”
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Rajon Rondo was one of the players that the Lakers controversially signed last summer. During that time, the Lakers thought that surrounding LeBron James with playmakers instead of shooters would put them closer to ending their title drought, which proved to be a big mistake. However, despite failing to reach the postseason, Rondo managed to prove that he can coexist and be a good teammate to James.
Aside from his incredible passing skills, Rajon Rondo has also succeeded in turning himself into a legitimate threat from beyond the arc. In his first season wearing the Purple and Gold, the 33-year-old point guard averaged 9.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.2 steals on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 35.9 percent shooting from the three-point range. The arrival of Anthony Davis gives the Lakers more reason to bring Rondo back in the 2019 NBA free agency. Davis and Rondo were teammates in New Orleans when the Pelicans upset and swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2018 Western Conference Playoffs.
