Lakers Rumors: Rounding Up Trade Buzz on Robert Sacre and More

Just a few days into the new year, things are already red hot in the rumors department surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Never mind that the Lakers are a team more than 10 games below .500 in a competitive conference. Forget that Kobe Bryant is undergoing changes to his playing time to counter the harsh realities of age. 

This is about the future. Ask the New York Knicks how the approach is going, too.

It is clear the Lakers are on the hunt to do whatever necessary to improve the roster down the road, hence the foray into the fight for Rajon Rondo and the necessity that seems to be shipping away players such as Robert Sacre.

The Robert Sacre Saga

As far as tradeable assets go, 25-year-old center Robert Sacre is high up on the list.

In fact, the brass in Los Angeles are likely to scratch their collective heads if any offers at all come in for the former Gonzaga star.

Alas, the Cleveland Cavaliers might just be that team, as serious frontcourt issues may persuade them to make a move. ESPN.com's Nick Borges provides the details (subscription required):

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The Cavs have been trying to land a center and now they have options to get it done. Currently management can use the DPE, the $5.28 million Traded Player Exception from the Keith Bogans trade to Philadelphia, future draft picks or their own players to bring in a big man.

The Cavs have been linked with Denver's Timofey Mozgov, Memphis' Kosta Koufos and LA Lakers' Robert Sacre, but have not offered enough to tempt those three teams.

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Sacre, a 7'0" and 270-pound enforcer beneath the rim, does fit what the Cavaliers need in terms of size and added depth off the bench in the right situations. He averages 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.5 blocks on 14.4 minutes per game this year, all numbers that are down from a year ago when he took the court slightly more often. 

The caveat is the Lakers do not need Sacre now that Tarik Black is in the fold and clearly the preferred young, enthusiastic player off the bench with plenty of room to develop. After all, that is Sacre's self-described role, as told to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: "I'm really happy with how I've been playing. I know what my role is, to bring energy off the bench and make sure that there's no let-downs."

If the Cavaliers come calling, the Lakers would be foolish not to pull the trigger. Regardless, one of the least likely names to crop up in rumors has done just that.

It might just have legs, too.

Rajon Rondo Revelations 

USA TODAY Sports

Kudos goes to those in charge of the Lakers—they continue to stick to their long-term plan. 

The Lakers, at least allegedly, could have surrendered Julius Randle in a trade for Rajon Rondo, a nugget Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears dropped a few weeks back.

Spears is at it again, this time revealing what everyone wants to know—just how close the Lakers got to acquiring the star point guard. 

According to Spears, the offer was a combination of old and new: “The Lakers’ best trade offer for Rajon Rondo was Steve Nash’s expiring contract, a first-round pick from Houston and two second-round picks, a source said.”

As Lakers fans know, the offer did not exactly work out and the new Dallas Mavericks point guard put on quite the show against the team he almost joined, as Mark Followill of Fox Sports points out:

Regardless, no team is vain enough to take on Steve Nash's contract. It makes loads of sense for the Lakers at least to dip their toes in the water when it comes to Rondo, but the team does not have enough to swing a major deal like that.

Remember, too, that Rondo is going on 29 years old and has played in no more than 38 games in each of the past two seasons entering this year.

For a team that wants to get younger, Rondo is not worth selling away the future for—especially since he is possibly headed for free agency after this season anyway.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.