According to the US media Shams-Charania, the Cavaliers are currently engaged in "serious negotiations" with the Lakers about the trade with veteran point guard Rajan Rondo. ESPN correspondent Adrian Vonaroski also confirmed the report:
With Ricky Rubio suffering from ACL injuries and Colin Sexton already reimbursed for injury, the Cavaliers do lack depth in the backcourt. For the Lakers, giving up Rondo is still a better move for the team, after all, Rondo, who has played in 18 games for the Lakers so far this season, has only averaged 3.1 points and 3.7 assists per game.
In contrast, sending Rondo away would allow the team to release a lineup seat, which also means that the Lakers are better choices whether they keep Stanley Johnson or Darren Collison. The Lakers' push for a deal involving Rondo with the Cavaliers reportedly doesn't need to match the salary space, as Rondo is only a veteran contract.
However, the US media Anthony Owen suggested that the Lakers could try to promote the deal involving Osman with the Cavaliers with the sending of Rondo and Kendrick Nunn:
At the same time, he also suggested that the Lakers should consider cutting Rondo and making the latter an assistant coach, in which case he can leave a backcourt player like Collison:
In addition, the famous Jenhes skip Baylors said on social media that the Lakers should push for a deal involving Westbrook rather than Rondo:
"The Lakers would be better off leaving Rondo instead of Westbrook, all you know is that Rondo is on the bench and Russell is ahead of the league in terms of turnovers."
But if the Lakers go ahead with the deal involving Lajan-Rondo without paying back, it will also allow them to reduce the luxury tax and save $7 million, while also creating a $1.7 million deal exception. Even if the Cavaliers can get Rondo without trading anyone, they have to give up a player before pushing for a trade because they already have 15 players on the bench.