With the NBA Draft and free agency set to happen this week, the Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly made a move to strengthen their bid for back-to-back titles. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Lakers are set to trade the No. 28 pick in this week’s draft in exchange for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder. The move will undoubtedly strengthen the Lakers’ backcourt, and according to Marc Stein of The New York Times, it was a move that the team made in anticipation of the departure of point guard Rajon Rondo, who is a free agent. 

With Rajon Rondo playing well in the Lakers’ run to their first championship in a decade, the veteran guard has reportedly received interest from multiple teams looked to acquire his services. According to Stein, the 34-year old could receive offers from other teams that the Lakers might not be able to match due to the team’s budget constraints, which is part of the reason why they made the move to acquire Schroder. 

In 16 playoff games with Los Angeles, the four-time All-Star with the Boston Celtics averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.4 steals, while shooting 45.5% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. But aside from those numbers, it was Rondo’s ball handling, defense, and leadership that proved instrumental in the Lakers’ run to the title and will prove invaluable to any team that would sign him. 

The Lakers, meanwhile, are set to receive Dennis Schroder, who averaged 18.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and four assists, shooting 46.9% from the field and 38.5% from downtown in 65 games for the Thunder last season. 

It remains to be seen whether Los Angeles will indeed lose Rondo to free agency and which team will sign him, but Rob Pelinka and the team’s front office have already prepared for that possibility by snagging a high-scoring guard in Schroder.