Lakers covet Rondo but won’t part with Gasol to get him

As trade rumors will continue to hover over the Los Angeles Lakers until Thursday’s deadline passes, the L.A. Times reports the team had discussions last week with the Boston Celtics about point guard Rajon Rondo. But since the Lakers are not willing to send Pau Gasol to Boston in order to acquire Rondo, those talks went nowhere.

"Unless they give up Gasol, they're not going to get a top-level point guard," a source told The Times.

While Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley is a “more likely acquisition” for the Lakers, according to The Times, L.A. has so far not been willing to trade the first-round pick they acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in the Lamar Odom deal to get him.

Whatever the case, Kobe Bryant wants to put the trade deadline in the team’s rearview mirror. "I think it will have a great effect," Bryant said, according to The Times. "Guys can just go out and play instead of waking up and checking their phones all the time to make sure they didn't miss a call from their agent."