Why The Los Angeles Lakers Should Not Pursue Rajon Rondo

The Los Angeles Lakers have long been viewed as a possible destination for soon-to-be free agent Rajon Rondo.

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The Lakers have reportedly made multiple efforts to trade for Rondo in recent years and he was reportedly interested in signing with them this summer prior to his mid-season trade to the Dallas Mavericks. Also, Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has made it clear he’s interested in playing with Rondo.

Well, the Lakers have never had a better opportunity to fulfill Bryant’s wishes than they will have this summer. Rondo is an unrestricted free-agent and the Lakers will be flush with cap space.

However, the Lakers would be much better served spending their money elsewhere.

While Rondo’s a former all-star and an NBA champion, he’s simply not an effective player anymore.

Rondo averaged just 8.9 points and 7.9 assists per game this season, his lowest averages in each category since just his second season in the league.

But Rondo’s 2014-15 campaign looks even more disastrous when you look beyond just the basic statistics.

Rondo was a negative for the teams he played on this season. His offensive rating was 101.7 and his defensive rating was 102.9, giving him a net-rating of minus-1.2 points per 100 possessions.

Rondo’s below average play was particularly harmful to the Dallas Mavericks. When Rondo joined the Mavs, Rick Carlisle‘s squad had the league’s most-efficient offense at 113.5 points per 100 possessions and a stellar net-rating of plus-8.5. Once Rondo joined, the team’s offense fell off a cliff to 104.1 points per 100 possessions and had a net-rating of plus-1.0.

Rondo was handed the keys to an offensive juggernaut and turned it into merely a somewhat effective one. That’s a huge indictment on his ability.

Frankly, it wasn’t all that stunning to see Rondo stunt Dallas’ offense. In a league in which spacing and shooting is more important than ever, Rondo can’t help in either aspect. Furthermore, he doesn’t have the distributing skills he once had and he can’t get to the rim like he used to.

Not surprisingly, Rondo’s awful season has altered the way the Lakers view him, as the team no longer sees the point guard as a player worthy of a lucrative contract.

From Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding:

"So there remains a distinct possibility in today’s space-and-shoot NBA that the Los Angeles Lakers will be the torchbearers for the old school and sign the pass-first (nay, pass-only) Rondo to a free-agent contract this summer.But what should be made clear, according to team sources, is that Buss is not the believer he was earlier in the season when it comes to Rondo, and Kupchak is toting enough healthy skepticism that he sees Rondo as value only at a certain low price."

But, even on an inexpensive contract, Rondo represents a risk for the Lakers.

Rondo wasn’t just bad for the Mavericks from a basketball perspective, his attitude was a huge issue as well.

He clashed with Carlisle multiple times during the regular season.

He didn’t look like a guy that cared about his team in the playoffs and the Mavericks and he ultimately made the mutual decision to part ways in the midst of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets. The team decided not to give him his $15,000 playoff share, a decision that was not questioned by his teammates, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

Yes, Rondo will be available on the cheap this offseason. But, the Lakers are in a rebuilding stage and a veteran point guard that has a poor attitude and hasn’t been productive in a long time is the last thing they need. Rondo would be a focal point in Los Angeles and that’s simply not a role he’s shown he deserves right now.

The best-case scenario for Rondo rejuvenating his career is signing a short-term deal with a contender and trying to find his form in a low-pressure situation as a reserve. That’s the exact opposite situation the Lakers can offer right now.

This is a crucial offseason for the future of the Lakers franchise. They shouldn’t mess it up by signing Rondo.

Note:all stats from NBA.com

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