The LA Lakers have been an active team this offseason and while a Rajon Rondo trade or an Eric Bledsoe deal would be a dream option, Los Angeles may wait to target those players, as they could be free agents in the summer of 2015 and this comes as the team also has looked at Michael Beasley and Jordan Crawford in free agency and the possibility of a Steve Nash trade.
The Lakers are not using the stretch provision on Steve Nash this season and while they likely will keep him for the duration of the year, there is always a chance a trade could go down late in the season. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers have looked into trading Nash since acquiring Jeremy Lin from Houston but right now no deal is imminent. Pro Basketball Talk also reported on interest in Bledsoe earlier this offseason, but the Lakers did not want to get into an offer sheet-match battle with the Phoenix Suns.
Rondo could be a free agent target next summer, as he is set to hit the market right now as he comes into the final year of his extension. Pro Basketball Talk reports that the Celtics and Rondo are not looking for a trade and that both sides want to start the season together before revisiting the situation. Rondo wants a new deal as a free agent and the Celtics may want to keep him, but they also realize they are rebuilding and he is coming off of serious surgery. The team wants to see if Rondo can stay healthy, while Rondo wants top see how this team performs in the early goings.
Rondo could turn into the next Kevin Love situation, as he is heading towards free agency and could get traded. The biggest sticking point there is the fact that Rondo likely will not sign an extension with anyone and will wait for free agency to make the big money, which would take away some teams from targeting him. The Rockets, Kings and Pacers all could be in the mix and the Lakers will have a ton of money to spend next summer. Rondo will be a major target if he makes it to free agency and so will Bledsoe, as he could be on the market as well.
Bledsoe and the Suns have been at odds on a new deal and Bledsoe is looking for the max at five years, while the Suns are offering four. Bledsoe could sign the qualifying offer and play one year while becoming a free agent next summer and if he does that, LA could target him as well. Jordan Crawford is another solid option for the team if they want to add more to the bench and they have already been very active this summer.
The team added Carlos Boozer and Lin and they also signed back a number of their free agents, including leading scorer Nick Young. The team should be much better if Kobe Bryant can stay healthy and they also kept Xavier Henry, Ryan Kelly, Jordan Hill and Wesley Johnson to give depth to the bench and that should help the team win more than 27 games. Losing Pau Gasol is tough, but Boozer can at least help make up that production.
