There are a number of teams watching the situation unfold down in Dallas. It is clear there is tension between the Mavericks and Rajon Rondo which could lead to ramifications down the road in free agency. The point guard still has an expiring contract to his name and plenty of teams would love for Rondo to text the market. In major need of a point guard for the future, the Los Angeles Lakers are ready to make a run at Rondo if they get the chance.
The trade Dallas Mavericks trade for Rondo did not change the fact that the Lakers still want Rondo in free agency. Mavericks owner Marc Cuban made it clear following the deal with the Boston Celtics that the point guard was not a one-year rental for the team, but that is not changing Kobe Bryant's plan to recruit the star over to the West Coast.
Bryant told the media via ESPN.com that he will not stop recruiting Rondo until the point guard signs a contract extension somewhere. The trade to the Mavericks did not change the fact that Rondo's contract is expiring at the end of the season and Bryant plans on continuing to push him to sign with the Lakers. The question becomes whether or not the Lakers is the right move considering Rondo is ready to win a championship sooner rather than later. Bryant can longer be counted on to carry the team leaving them with Nick Young and rookie Julius Randle who is out for the year. Rondo will need to decide whether or not he is looking to take that on or not.
The Lakers will not be the only team pushing for the point guard. The Houston Rockets will look to Rondo is available. They have the point guard's close friend Josh Smith on the team. However, the Rockets present the same issue the Mavericks have right now in that they do not need Rondo to be a super star. They have scoring coming from James Harden and Smith and do not need the point guard taking the shot on every play. That is the situation in Dallas with players like Chandler Parsons and Monta Ellis.
Los Angeles along with the New York Knicks will likely throw a max contract at the feet of Rondo which could push him in that direction. The tension between the point guard and Carlisle does not mean Dallas cannot simply re-sign the star, but the point guard has had coaching issues in the past and could move on if he wants.
