Lakers could pursue Rajon Rondo in offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of only two teams in the NBA without a win this season. Already, the focus for Los Angeles is turning to next year and how the franchise can salvage the final season it has Kobe Bryant under contract. The Lakers will hope to be players in the free agent market once again in 2015, and SI’s Chris Mannix is reporting the franchise has its eye on a certain star point guard: Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics.

Rondo turns 29 years old in February and will be an unrestricted free agent. According to Mannix, people around the league believe Los Angeles will make a push for the four-time All-Star:

There is one player who makes sense in LA next season: Rajon Rondo. Several rival executives believe the Lakers will make a strong run at Rondo next summer, and it’s easy to see why. Rondo is young (28), plays a critical position and shares the same win-at-all-bleeping-cost attitude as Bryant. The Celtics are rebuilding and have a young playmaker in Marcus Smart, which may limit their desire to hand Rondo max money.

Is Rondo a good fit for the Lakers? Would the point guard jump from one struggling team to another? Let’s take a look at this rumor:

The Lakers just might be the worst team in the Western Conference. A year after winning only 27 games under coach Mike D’Antoni, it appears Byron Scott’s first season as head coach could be even more trying. Los Angeles is currently posting the worst defensive rating in the league by a huge margin. By allowing 117.4 points per 100 possessions, the Lakers are seven points worse (per 100 possessions) than the Utah Jazz, the second-worst defense in the league.

Rondo has always been a fine defensive player, and he’s shown early in this season that he’s fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in the 2012-13 season. Rondo posted a triple-double on Wednesday against the Raptors and is averaging 9.3 points, 12.5 assists and nine rebounds through four games this season.

Meanwhile, Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin is struggling defensively while scoring 10.8 points per game on 37.8 percent shooting. The Lakers need a long-term fix at point guard, and throwing huge money -- likely a max contract -- at Rondo is one way for the team to save face with a proud fanbase.

The Lakers met with Carmelo Anthony this offseason and hoped to make a run at LeBron James, but struck out with both. Rondo and Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol are two of the best free agents in the summer of 2015, and it’s a safe bet the Lakers will explore both options.

There’s only one question left: would an All-Star player at the end of his prime really want to join this sinking ship?

Celtics GM Danny Ainge has maintained that Boston would like Rondo back. With the league salary cap potentially rising next year ahead of an influx of new television money, it’s possible the Lakers and Celtics will face plenty of competition for Rondo’s services.

Rondo’s competitive spirit might be part of what makes him so appealing to the Lakers, but it could also prevent him from signing with a team likely to be coming off such a miserable season. Rondo would certainly make Kobe Bryant’s life easier, but Bryant might not be around longer than next season. Does Rondo really want to tie up the next years of his career to a rebuilding Lakers team?

Money talks in the NBA, and a huge contract offer could certainly persuade Rondo. However, if Rondo has more than one max offer, he’s likely to find a situation more appealing than the one in Los Angeles.

If the Lakers finish this year as one of the worst teams in the NBA, it’s going to be difficult to convince any star player to sign there. Rondo will listen if the money is big enough, but the guess here is that he’ll find a better offer somewhere else.