Does LeBron James know that the Lakers have added Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee?

In fact, let's start there, because it relates to a lot of the confusion generated Monday by the news. at one year, $ 9 million with Rondo. While the 32-year-old has experienced some sort of rebirth last season with the Pelicans and is responding to James' preference for his teammates who play with intelligence, he will not have the ball in his hands as much as he does. He would like it. In addition, his three-point shot has only improved to the point where he could reasonably be described as below average.

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That would seem to be a problem, because the NBA has embraced the era of the small ball, James's playing abilities have been better complemented by skilled teammates shooting beyond the bow . If Rondo is not in this regard, he is positively Curry-esque compared to Stephenson, who owns a 30.3-point career percentage of three points, of which only 28.9% out of 232 attempts the season last.

Rondo and Stephenson bring defensive tenacity, as well as the playoff experience, a valuable commodity given the Lakers 'youth and James' annual drawings during trips to the NBA finals. Of course, the pair's many playoffs have included many confrontations as James's opponents when he was playing for the Cavs and Heat, including the unforgettable moment of the 2014 East Conference Finals when Stephenson blew into the ### 39; ear of a certain person

. Stephenson is also put under the skin of James by putting his head in the face during the playoffs, in addition to being floated and, at least once, to make the sign "throttling". For the role of Rondo, when he was a member of the Celtics, James was such a hated rival that Rondo and his teammates Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce ostracized Ray Allen for years, with bad blood continuing to this day, after Allen left Boston to join James in Miami.

McGee did not quite have the same story with James, but he apparently had the bad side of it enough to have been blocked by James on Instagram. A solid shooting blocker in his own right, as well as an athlete who can flash the basket in the pick and roll, McGee would seem to complement James's playing style pretty well, but he's just 1 for 15 in his career three points range. As for his basketball IQ, three words should be enough: Shaqtin & # 39; A. Fool.

On the other hand, the three players would have agreed to sign for one year each and for cheap contracts, especially in the case of Stephenson and McGee, so Los Angeles did not do so. Investments. and maintains the flexibility of the list for harvesting the free agent next summer. Rondo could also be an excellent guardian for Lonzo Ball, the second pick in last year's draft, which shares many of the veteran's traits, including pbading skills … and an alarming incapacity to pull well.

[Jenkins: Welcome to L.A., LeBron James. See yourself out, LaVar Ball.]

seems to bode well for badembling a suitable support cast for James, but, as many have speculated, Ball may not be long for alignment. The Lakers might consider including it in an agreement for more experienced help, which would largely explain the Rondo acquisition.

Los Angeles is already separated from one of its prominent young players, waiving Monday's rights to Julius Randle, the seventh-choice of 2014, who would have agreed to join the pelicans of New Orleans . More could follow if the Lakers do business with the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard, with people like Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma possibly on the table.

Meanwhile, after leading a youth movement in recent years, Los Angeles follows the addition of the 33-year-old James by growing up elsewhere on the list. It remains to be seen what the team receives from others, but this should be interesting to watch.