NBA Rumors: Breaking Down Buzz on Rajon Rondo, Greg Monroe and More
There is never any shortage of conversation when it comes to the NBA, especially regarding rumors. Plenty goes on behind the scenes at every league franchise, a stark contrast to the accessibility of the players out on the open court and in postgame press conferences.
As it stands, the Western Conference is busy making the Eastern Conference look like a developmental league. There are few rosters east of the Mississippi that can claim to be studded with stars, but hope springs eternal as the bar for entry for the playoffs is set extremely low. Naturally, Eastern teams are doing all they can to hold on to and hoard talent, thus generating plenty of behind-closed-doors discussion and speculation.
Here are the latest rumors surrounding three big-name players currently plying their trade in the Eastern Conference.
Rajon Rondo
Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo enjoyed the breakfast heard 'round the league on Thursday morning prior to the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Boston Celtics. More than a few Lakers fans shell-shocked from the disappointing season thus far might've gotten their hopes up, but ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne noted that it was "just breakfast" and then went on to give a little more insight into Rondo's future:
"While there are no active talks between the two franchises involving a trade for Rondo, sources said the teams did have a brief discussion a few months ago.
It's not clear which team initiated the call.
Rondo will be a free agent this summer, and sources stressed that the Celtics would prefer to re-sign him.
Their willingness to engage in talks regarding Rondo is merely informational at this point, sources said.
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Rondo coming to Los Angeles in the near future might truly be no more than just a pipe dream. The Lakers are 5-16 in a loaded Western Conference and have very little in the way of trading chips to get a deal done this season.
The Celtics are at 7-11 and clearly have a good foundation with Rondo, who is averaging 8.6 points, 11.3 assists and 7.4 rebounds. However, ESPN's Ethan Strauss noted on Friday that Rondo has had his scoring droughts this season:
Then again, Rondo notched the 31st triple-double of his career on Saturday night, per NBA on ESPN:
Boston also has a solid corps of young players including Jared Sullinger and Tyler Zeller as well as the steady veteran hand of Jeff Green, who is averaging 19.0 points per game.
With Bryant's contract siphoning up cap space next season and Julius Randle's lost season casting doubt on the Lakers' ability to gather a reliable corps of young players, Rondo just might be better off wearing Celtic green in 2015.
Greg Monroe
Greg Monroe was a highly coveted restricted free agent in the summer of 2014. The Detroit Pistons found little success trying to stuff Monroe, Andre Drummond and Josh Smith onto the court at the same time, and it seemed reasonable that if the right offer came along they might alleviate the pressure.
Unfortunately, nothing came to fruition. RealGM.com's Shams Charania provided an update on what the Pistons were looking for to part ways with the big man:
"The president and coach requested All-Star caliber players in return, league sources told RealGM. In one instance, two other franchises had agreed to a three-team deal that needed the Pistons’ acceptance, delivering Monroe a maximum-level contract. Opposing team executives involved pushed for it. Only, Detroit rejected.
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The price was never right for Detroit, so they were able to keep Monroe in the fold and try to make the Big Three experiment work. It's a shame, because at the rate things are going the two parties might have been better off parting ways. The Pistons are 3-18 this year, and Monroe's numbers have either stagnated or fallen off in some areas.
| 2013-14 | 82 | 82 | 32.8 | 15.2 | .497 | 9.3 | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| 2014-15 | 18 | 13 | 30.6 | 14.4 | .474 | 9.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 |
At this rate, it seems like the best course of action is for Monroe to leave the Pistons and for the team to regroup without him.
According to Charania, head coach Stan Van Gundy apparently has no delusions and won't be surprised if Monroe's gone after this season: "When the one-year qualifier was signed, Van Gundy understood Monroe would almost assuredly walk in 2015 free agency, and nothing has changed."
Monroe would have much more freedom this summer to choose a system that works for him and a team that would be willing to make him an everyday starter. If Drummond continues to get more playing time than him, it could be tough for Monroe to snag a max-level contract. Still, a 24-year-old center would be a huge coup for many of the hungry teams looking to add talent in 2015.
Lance Stephenson
The Charlotte Hornets made their ambitions clear when they signed Lance Stephenson prior to the 2014 season to a two-year contract with a club option, per Spotrac. He was supposed to provide an offensive boost out on the wing and complement the inside-outside game of point guard Kemba Walker and forward/center Al Jefferson.
However, Stephenson has struggled mightily since coming to Charlotte, and the team is off to a desultory 5-15 start.
Naturally, frustration will arise in such a situation, and it's been reported that the fresh face isn't helping matters, via the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn: "NBA sources say that Stephenson has been difficult with his teammates, causing some dissension in the locker room."
However, coach Steve Clifford has been quick to defend his struggling star, via Washburn:
"He played in the same place for four years. A lot of it is the same, a lot of it is different. He’s got new teammates that he’s learning to play with. I think it’s a comfort thing. I talked to him the other day [and told him] you have to handle frustration, handle disappointment, and handle success the same way. You learn from it and you go on.
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Cohesion from all involved will be key to the Hornets getting back on track in the diluted Eastern Conference. If Stephenson can fix his own struggles on offense, the situation might improve tremendously. He is shooting 38.5 percent from the floor this year, down from a career high of 49.1 percent with the Indiana Pacers last season.
The biggest drop-off is on shots in and around the paint. Stephenson is shooting a lowly 23.1 percent on shots between three and 10 feet from the basket, per Basketball-Reference.com. His inability to score likely stems from a different positioning on the court.
"Now I’m playing on the left side (of the lane) after playing on the right side the whole season with the Pacers. I thought that would be easy, but I had to put in extra work – and I have been coming in early," said Stephenson, via the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell.
If Stephenson can get used to shooting at different angles and taking better shots, the Hornets could very well turn things around this season, although they will be left fighting for one of the last playoff spots after such a slow start.
