Steve Nash and Jeremy Lin were brought in to help the back court, but that experiment has failed and the franchise is back to the drawing boards. The good news for the team and its fans are several quality players hit the free agent market this summer and with a couple solid signings and a good pick in the upcoming draft, next season could see a top-8 finish in the Western Conference.
The biggest rumors are from Dallas as Rajon Rondo has wore out his short stay with the Mavericks and will play elsewhere next season. Several reports have the point guard headed west, a move that would give Kupchak a young guard to build around and a player that will improve this squad.
The 29-year-old has struggled in Dallas and his frustration has carried over to the locker room, but he has averaged over 10 points and eight assists per game in his career and a move to a new team should bring those numbers back. The LA Lakers need a floor leader, especially with the recent injuries to Bryant and while he’s not a big scoring threat, Rondo does make those around him better and that’s just what the LA Lakers need to breakout of their losing ways of the past couple of seasons.
If ownership decides to go in a different direction, 23-year-old Brandon Knight is an excellent option. The former first round pick out of Kentucky is more of a scoring threat, averaging 15.2 points per game in his four years in the NBA, but playing for three teams in his short career has some experts wondering if he’s a bad influence off the court.
With Bryant and youngster Julius Randle expected back at full strength to start the year, adding one of these back court stars could be just what this team needs to get back as a force in the league and create a buzz with the fans, something that’s been lost in recent times.
