Dallas Mavericks point guard Rajon Rondo reportedly planned to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers prior to his February trade ahead of the deadline.
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Before his switch to Dallas, Rondo was seen having breakfast with Lakers guard Kobe Bryant in Boston, and the general feeling was that he would be moving to the West coast.
However, he opted to give himself another chance at an immediate championship first by joining the Mavs, but that hasn’t ultimately gone to plan as the team currently trail the Houston Rockets 2-0 in their opening round playoff series.
Further, Rondo isn’t expected to play again after coach Rick Carlisle suggested that he was done while there was a suggestion that a back injury was to blame despite the pair having their issues all year.
As a result, it has now surfaced that the 29-year-old had planned to sign with the Lakers this summer, and provided that Carlisle is still in Dallas at the end of the season, he will be moving on, Yahoo Sports reports.
The Lakers remain interested and will undoubtedly make their move in free agency, and with Carlisle under no immediate pressure in his current role, it appears as though the writing is on the wall for Rondo.
The former Celtics star is still a highly talented individual and with the right coach and team, he will play a key role and the Lakers seem like a solid fit at this stage.
Rondo expects to get a maximum contract this summer and so that could still be a sticking point for any interested teams, but with Bryant adamant that he wants to play alongside him, it could be a matter of time before he makes the Staples Center his new home.
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