According to Zack Cox of the New England Sports Network, the Lakers have made an offer to the Celtics for Rondo. Plus, via Ken Berger of CBS Sports, Rondo said he’s open to re-signing with the Rockets or the Mavericks.
By now, we all know that Dallas has been going after a potential deal to bring Rondo to the Mavericks to team up with Dirk and company. One complication was that no one knew if he would re-sign with them after this season. League sources told CBS Sports that in the midst of all these trade talks, Rondo would be open to re-signing with only the Rockets and the Mavericks. This comes as great news to both Dallas and Houston because that means they have a little bit of time to work with if they don’t win the championship this season. The thought of competing for a championship now and for the next few years is what intrigues Rondo, but that does not mean he is demanding a trade in any way. Rondo is still playing the cards he’s been dealt and he’s making the best out of his situation. He has said before that he likes playing in Boston, but if Danny Ainge decides a trade would help the team then Rondo seems to be ok with that too. After the Celtics’ game against Orlando on Wednesday night, reporters asked Rondo if he wanted to stay in Boston and his response was this:
“How many times do you want me to say it? … My thoughts and my opinions as far as the organization haven’t changed.”
Golden State and Memphis are the top teams in the West right now, and the other western teams are trying to find something that would get them closer to that top seed. Rondo may not be an elite scorer, but he could be that point guard to push one of those teams in the West over the top.
The Mavericks may be the front-runners for the Rondo sweepstakes, but the Lakers are trying hard to put their name in consideration. According to Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers have offered a hefty package for Rondo’s services.
Lakers offer for Rondo was Nash & multiple picks. They have Houston's first in 2015 from Lin trade
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 18, 2014
The Lakers obviously need a point guard, but offering multiple picks for a guy who hasn’t said he would re-sign is a big risk. They would be offering their future for potentially one year of Rondo’s services and even then that would not put them in a spot that would make them championship contenders. Boston would be making out quite well if this deal goes through because then they’d be able to build even more through the draft and they still have young players, like Marcus Smart, who have a lot of potential.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Mavericks seem to still be in first place with the Rockets as a close second in the race to acquire Rajon Rondo.
