Lakers News: Rajon Rondo, George Hill Rumors and More

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a quiet start to the NBA free agency period, but never fear, there are still plenty of names swirling around the Lakers rumor mill. 

As Lakers fans wait for the team to add a veteran at point guard, they can at least take solace in the fact that Los Angeles has locked down its point guard of the future, No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball. 

The Lakers signed Ball to his contract Monday afternoon—one that will pay him a little more than $30 million for four years, according to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. 

Los Angeles has high hopes that Ball will be the catalyst it needs to contend again in the near future, but as far as the 2017-18 season is concerned, the team needs an experienced vet to pair with him and the rest of the notably young roster. 

And, according to Ganguli, the Lakers "remain protective of their salary-cap space for next season, so they have been willing to give only one-year deals to players."

One of the names associated with Los Angeles' point-guard search is free agent George Hill, and talks between his reps and the team appear to be heating up, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

The Lakers' interest in Hill is grounded in the fact that he could be available for a one-year deal, which both preserves cap space while giving the team the veteran mentor it wants for its young nucleus:

Hill played for the Utah Jazz last season after spending five years with the Indiana Pacers. He shot 47.7 percent from the field and made 40.3 percent of his three-point attempts. 

What's more, Hill has never made headlines for being a negative presence in the locker room, so he's likely not a danger to the culture the Lakers are trying to build. 

The same can't be said about the other point guard in whom the Lakers are reportedly interested: Rajon Rondo. 

Per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers are giving Rondo "strong consideration":

USA Today NBA Insider Sam Amick also reported that Rondo is still in the mix for Los Angeles' veteran point-guard need:

But is it possible that the Lakers are more interested in Rondo than he is in them? 

There have also been reports, including this one from Hoops Hype's Alex Kennedy, that Rondo is actually interested in joining that other L.A. team—the Clippers: 

It makes sense. Rondo played with Doc Rivers in Boston for the first seven years of his career, overwhelmingly the most positive and productive stint he's had in the pros. 

Rondo has proven to be a difficult locker room presence in stops in Sacramento and Chicago, but Rivers seems to have the best history of any coach of connecting with Rondo and bringing out the best in his game. 

Assuming that Rondo's locker room issues will continue into the future, the Clippers seem better prepared to deal with them than the Lakers, given the youth on the latter's roster. 

Given the current buzz surrounding both Hill and Rondo, the former seems a much more likely signing for the Lakers.