Someone associated with the Lakers thinks Darren Collison would be an ‘unbelievable’ pickup for the team

Tuesday night was one of Rajon Rondo’s better games for the Lakers this season. In 23 minutes and 13 seconds against the New York Knicks, Rondo tallied 8 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal.

However, as of late, the “good Rondo games” have been far and few between, and even at his best, his skillset is an awkward fit with this group of players. That’s probably why the Lakers are in the market for help at the point guard position, and the name they’ve been linked to most recently is Darren Collison.

Collison, 32, unexpectedly announced his retirement from the NBA last summer for religious reasons. Now, after seven months away from the Association, Collison is planning on making an NBA comeback, and according to Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN, the 10-year veteran guard has his sights set on playing in Los Angeles with either the Clippers or Lakers.

To date, there’s been little word on whether that interest is mutual with the Lakers, but according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, there is at least one person with ties to the organization that believes Collison would be a great pickup for them:

Specifically, Collison may be reconsidering his early retirement, with eyes on the Lakers or Clippers as a destination:

That could be a game-changer.

”He would be unbelievable,” said one person associated with the team.

Whoever that person is, they’re absolutely right — at least in theory.

If Collison is the same player he was just a season ago after sitting out for half a year — which is far from a guarantee — he would be a seamless fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis because of his 3-point shooting. In four of the last five seasons, Collison has shot above 40% from behind the arc on at least two 3-point attempts per game. During the 2017-18 season, he shot a league-best 46.8% from 3-point range on 3.2 attempts per game.

In other words, he can really shoot the ball, but that’s not the only thing he can do. Collison can also handle the ball well and create his own offense, which is more than the guards the Lakers currently employ can say, and it’s also why he’d be able thrive as a backup point guard, too.

Whether it’s at the expense of Rondo, Daniels or DeMarcus Cousins — who is expected to miss the entirety of the season with a torn ACL — the Lakers would be wise to pursue Collison, who’s a native of Southern California. We’ll have a better idea of whether or not they plan to within the next month, as the Feb. 6 trade deadline is just around the corner.

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