3 offseason mistakes that could haunt the Lakers

2. Signing Rajon Rondo

Proponents of the Rondo signing will correctly point out that the Lakers were only required to give him a league minimum salary after he was let go by the Grizzlies. The truth of the matter is that him taking up a roster spot could turn into a real problem for Los Angeles.

The idea behind signing Rondo is that he’s a high-level passer who can come alive during the postseason to spur his team to victory. That does happen for the veteran point guard occasionally. Unfortunately, it’s more likely that he slogs through the regular season as a complete non-factor for his team.

Even at his best, Rondo is a poor fit for the best lineups the Lakers can put on the floor. They need a point guard who can stress the defense with his shooting ability. Rondo’s worked hard to become a somewhat competent three-point marksman in recent years, but no opposing defense is going to stress about him taking jumpers from behind the arc.

The Lakers should have spent all their perimeter roster spots on players that can really space the floor for LeBron and AD. Instead, they wasted a valuable roster spot on a player who can’t do that even when he’s engaged and playing his best basketball. Los Angeles may dump Rondo along the way if he becomes a cancer in the locker room, but there’s just no upside to his signing.