Kobe plans to keep recruiting Rondo to Lakers

[Celtics18]

I mean, if we had a shot to sign him before the trade there's no reason to believe we wouldn't have a shot to sign him after the trade.

I've seen you say that repeatedly, but Rondo's gone and he's not coming back. I think that's the best decision for both parties.

As for Kobe, I thought he and Rondo were just talking about basketball during their little breakfast like two "basketball geeks".

I agree he's "gone and not coming back", but I don't think the trade really had any impact on that.  He was leaving regardless... hence why he traded him.  I'm arguing that in a hypothetical world where Rondo wanted to stay in Boston, us trading him to the Mavs temporarily wouldn't dissuade him from returning home.   

Lol... he's gone.

Unfortunately for you, despite your dogged persistence, you will never be able to prove that there was no way Rondo would have re-signed this off-season if Danny had kept him.

You don't think Rondo's coming back, you don't want him back, you are just desperate to be right.

[Moranis]

good hope he signs there, doom them to mediocrity. 

[SHAQATTACK]

Rondos not returning in the next four years at soonest    He might float in as a bench sub  in his latter waning years to add depth to a contending team.

[wdleehi]

Why oh why is Rondo and Love going to join the does not share the ball, body falling apart Kobe on one of the worst teams in the NBA?

[BballTim]

I mean, if we had a shot to sign him before the trade there's no reason to believe we wouldn't have a shot to sign him after the trade.

I've seen you say that repeatedly, but Rondo's gone and he's not coming back. I think that's the best decision for both parties.

As for Kobe, I thought he and Rondo were just talking about basketball during their little breakfast like two "basketball geeks".

I agree he's "gone and not coming back", but I don't think the trade really had any impact on that.  He was leaving regardless... hence why he traded him.  I'm arguing that in a hypothetical world where Rondo wanted to stay in Boston, us trading him to the Mavs temporarily wouldn't dissuade him from returning home.   

  All of the scenarios involving Rondo staying with the team involved Danny bringing in some better players to put on the court with Rondo. Were you unaware of that, or are you expecting that kind of improvement while still having the cap space to sign Rondo?

[fairweatherfan]

Why oh why is Rondo and Love going to join the does not share the ball, body falling apart Kobe on one of the worst teams in the NBA?

Well, Love is from there, so there's that.  He's probably pretty sick of cold-weather cities by now.  And Kobe's likely gone after next season, so he has the prospect of being the #1 guy for the Lakers, which is probably a dream of his.

And while I'm not getting into a Rondo argument I think his play is going to reduce the number of teams willing to offer him a max deal, but I think the Lakers will definitely be willing if Kobe wants him there. 

[MBunge]

I think people need to adjust to the new realities of the NBA.  With the rules set up to punish max-level free agents from leaving their teams and the massive expected increase in the salary cap, the Lakers are going to find it more difficult than ever to attract talent.

Oh, a market like LA will always have advantages but it is now not only impossible to outbid a team for its free agents, meaning you can't get them unless the original team doesn't want to give them a max deal, but you can no longer do sign-n-trade deals where you get the max deal from your original team and then immediately get traded to someone else.  And with the salary cap expected to  increase by possibly 20 or 30 million dollars in the next 3 to 4 years, there's far less pressure on teams to hold the line on salaries for quality FAs.

Mike

[Depalma2002]

When Rondo and Love/Butler/Leonard sign with the Lakers this summer because they're the Lakers and that's just how it is:

Well Butler and Leonard are restricted and the Bulls/Spurs are not going to let them go unless the Lakers throw some kind of grandfather offer (Randle + someone taken top 5 this year) to convince them to do a sign and trade instead of match.

Love is a possibility, but only a remote one.

So even in that scenario that would leave them with an old Kobe Bryant who hasn't been able to stay on the court for three straight seasons and who has degenerated to being just a volume scorer, a middle of the pack point guard, and Love. That core is not even good enough to be more than the 10th seed in the West and that's if they all stay healthy.

[RMO]

Other than Shaq almost 20 years ago what big names have the lakers landed in free agency?  Gasol was a trade.  So was Howard.  Maybe you can say Malone and Payton but they were well passed their prime looking to jump on to a contender (which the lakers are nowhere near at this time) and willing to sign for a lot less money.

How much do you think free agents consider the draft pick when choosing a destination?  I've read how important it is for the lakers to get their pick this year so they can lure free agents.  Not counting those transcendent draft picks (ie Lebron, Durant) who come around once in awhile does a free agent really want to risk the next four years (along with leaving a lot of money on the table) to go to a team banking on those draft picks making a big impact?

[255 Rings]

Most Celtics fans get irate whenever the Lakers seem to nab major FAs off the market without realizing that the last big FA they ever signed outright was Shaq in 1996, way before the league placed a hard cap for overspending. Mr. Jerry Buss always overpaid for his squad and back then the social media world was nowhere as advanced as it is now. LA will always have the appeal, the celebrity lifestyle, but not every single NBA player wants to star in commercials and movies. Shaq, outside of basketball, wanted to be an actor and a rapper (both careers were a joke), and wanted a huge payday from Orlando who, because they were nowhere as filthy rich as Buss, refused, therefore him walking out on them. If we were talking present day Orlando they would most certainly have given him the max and built around him rather than worry about a fraud franchise like the Lakers outbid them for his services. I love the new CBA because it cripples the Lakers way of building a team AKA stealing already established superstar talent with the promise of a bigger fanbase and rich championship history. In today's league that's not enough weight to attract a FA. Lakers need to field a competitive team first before even thinking of chasing the big kahunas. Offering max money isn't enough. When the salary cap increases every single team will benefit from it since they can pretty much pay for their own superstars as they can offer the most money. Players like Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Aldridge, are gonna be tried to be retained at all costs and have a far better team assembled than the Lakers. And even if they pull out lopsided trades and signings what's next? You really think a incompetent coach like Byron Scott is gonna lead them to a title? A lot of people oversee how lucky the Lakers were when they nabbed Phil Jackson one year removed from a second three-peat and a manipulative Kobe pulled strings to end up in LA. I seriously doubt that'll happen again. If it happens then I will admit that the league just wants LA to remain their darlings.

[Moranis]

Other than Shaq almost 20 years ago what big names have the lakers landed in free agency?  Gasol was a trade.  So was Howard.  Maybe you can say Malone and Payton but they were well passed their prime looking to jump on to a contender (which the lakers are nowhere near at this time) and willing to sign for a lot less money.

How much do you think free agents consider the draft pick when choosing a destination?  I've read how important it is for the lakers to get their pick this year so they can lure free agents.  Not counting those transcendent draft picks (ie Lebron, Durant) who come around once in awhile does a free agent really want to risk the next four years (along with leaving a lot of money on the table) to go to a team banking on those draft picks making a big impact?

In the last 20 years, last summer is the only time the Lakers had cap room and there weren't really any big names to be had.

[tazzmaniac]

Other than Shaq almost 20 years ago what big names have the lakers landed in free agency?  Gasol was a trade.  So was Howard.  Maybe you can say Malone and Payton but they were well passed their prime looking to jump on to a contender (which the lakers are nowhere near at this time) and willing to sign for a lot less money.

How much do you think free agents consider the draft pick when choosing a destination?  I've read how important it is for the lakers to get their pick this year so they can lure free agents.  Not counting those transcendent draft picks (ie Lebron, Durant) who come around once in awhile does a free agent really want to risk the next four years (along with leaving a lot of money on the table) to go to a team banking on those draft picks making a big impact?

In the last 20 years, last summer is the only time the Lakers had cap room and there weren't really any big names to be had.

Carmelo Anthony isn't a big name??  The Lakers offered Carmelo MAX money last summer.  Even so the Bulls for less money was still his 2nd choice after the Knicks. 

[Moranis]

Other than Shaq almost 20 years ago what big names have the lakers landed in free agency?  Gasol was a trade.  So was Howard.  Maybe you can say Malone and Payton but they were well passed their prime looking to jump on to a contender (which the lakers are nowhere near at this time) and willing to sign for a lot less money.

How much do you think free agents consider the draft pick when choosing a destination?  I've read how important it is for the lakers to get their pick this year so they can lure free agents.  Not counting those transcendent draft picks (ie Lebron, Durant) who come around once in awhile does a free agent really want to risk the next four years (along with leaving a lot of money on the table) to go to a team banking on those draft picks making a big impact?

In the last 20 years, last summer is the only time the Lakers had cap room and there weren't really any big names to be had.

Carmelo Anthony isn't a big name??  The Lakers offered Carmelo MAX money last summer.  Even so the Bulls for less money was still his 2nd choice after the Knicks.

Carmelo was never leaving NY. 

[Vermont Green]

  All of the scenarios involving Rondo staying with the team involved Danny bringing in some better players to put on the court with Rondo. Were you unaware of that, or are you expecting that kind of improvement while still having the cap space to sign Rondo?

Not sure what everyone is disagreeing with.  I think it is pretty clear that Danny tried to bring in players and "build around" Rondo with the primary example being Love.  Had we gotten Love, there was probably a good chance that we could have signed Rondo.

I think what LarBrd33 is reacting to is many times when someone would suggest a trade for Rondo, the reply would be why on earth would you trade Rondo, we should build around Rondo.  Apparently people with that belief felt Rondo was going to resign.

I think we had a rock and a hard place because there was no way Rondo was going to resign.  Now if you disagree with me about that, that is where LarBrd33's argument comes in.  If you think we could have or were likely to sign Rondo, why has that changed now.  Why isn't it still likely that he will sign with the Celtics.

I don't think LarBrd33 thinks that Rondo was going to sign so debating that with him isn't the point.

[Celtics18]

  All of the scenarios involving Rondo staying with the team involved Danny bringing in some better players to put on the court with Rondo. Were you unaware of that, or are you expecting that kind of improvement while still having the cap space to sign Rondo?

Not sure what everyone is disagreeing with.  I think it is pretty clear that Danny tried to bring in players and "build around" Rondo with the primary example being Love.  Had we gotten Love, there was probably a good chance that we could have signed Rondo.

I think what LarBrd33 is reacting to is many times when someone would suggest a trade for Rondo, the reply would be why on earth would you trade Rondo, we should build around Rondo.  Apparently people with that belief felt Rondo was going to resign.

I think we had a rock and a hard place because there was no way Rondo was going to resign.  Now if you disagree with me about that, that is where LarBrd33's argument comes in. If you think we could have or were likely to sign Rondo, why has that changed now.  Why isn't it still likely that he will sign with the Celtics.

I don't think LarBrd33 thinks that Rondo was going to sign so debating that with him isn't the point.

Because we traded him.