The LA Lakers missed the Rajon Rondo trade after offering Steve Nash in a deal and now names like Deron Williams, Brandon Jennings, Goran Dragic, Josh Smith, Marc Gasol, Lance Stephenson and Iman Shumpert could be targets for Los Angeles, as the team may look at trading Nash and/or Jeremy Lin at the trade deadline to help set up the summer of 2015 for Kobe Bryant.
Rondo was traded to the Mavericks from the Celtics for a package of players and some picks and now the Lakers may look at other names on the market. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Deron Williams, Brandon Jennings and Goran Dragic are the top trade targets at point guard on the market heading into the deadline and they could be potential options for the Lakers. RealGM reports that Dragic will be a target for the Lakers and Rockets next summer in free agency and that the Knicks also will be interested in signing him if he opts to leave the Suns.
The Lakers have been mostly terrible this season and while they were interested in a Rajon Rondo deal, the team did not push too hard for it. The Lakers think that Rondo will still end up on the free agent market next summer even after his trade to the Mavericks and if that happens, Los Angeles should go after him with some vigor. The Knicks and the Rockets also could be options, while the Mavericks now are considered favorites to keep him after making the trade with the Celtics.
According to ESPN Los Angeles, the Lakers offered to trade Steve Nash and his expiring contract to the Celtics for Rondo, but the team wanted more in any package for the point guard. While some have argued that the haul they got for Rondo was not enough, at this point it was the best they could do. Pro Basketball Talk reports that Jennings is on the block for the Pistons and Williams is also getting shopped, with the Kings looking like a major option for the Nets.
The Lakers missed out on Chris Paul after the NBA nixed that deal and now that Rondo is gone, they could turn their attention to those other point guards on the trade market, including Dragic and Williams. The Lakers are in fifth place in the Pacific division and they are currently 8-19 on the season after a loss to the Kings. The team plays the Warriors next and while the Lakers have been very bad, they are not horrendous like the Pistons or Sixers and have some talent to build around. Yes. Kobe Bryant is old and not the player he once was, but he can still play at a high level and some additions could turn things around quickly.
The team hoped to target Kevin Love this summer before his trade to the Cavaliers and now a similar situation has played out with Rondo. If Rondo is off the table, expect the Lakers to go after Deron Williams, Brandon Jennings and Marc Gasol in trades or on the free agent market. The Knicks, Grizzlies and Celtics are all considered options for Gasol as well and that will make things interesting if the Lakers also get involved.
