No story will be bigger this off-season.
The Lakers started the rebuilding process by drafting top-prospect Lonzo Ball. The objective now is to see if the team can lure superstars LeBron James and Paul George to LA.
“The Lakers plan hasn’t changed. They want to get both of them,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said (ESPN Los Angeles).
Although Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka wouldn’t confirm that to be the case, he did tell Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated that the franchise is in an enviable position with the salary cap. “That’s the beauty of it,” Pelinka said. “Whatever the road becomes—Is it two max guys this summer? Is it one this summer and one the next? Is it splitting up space and just growing this young core?—it’s a good road to be on.”
James and George can each utilize a player option to become unrestricted free agents this summer. And, if they seek LA as their destination, those moves would make the Lakers an immediate title contender in 2018-19.
Although neither player has opened free agency discussions, the pull of LA may be matched by the push from their current teams. James is the lone warrior for the struggling Cavs. George, whose having one of his best seasons, hasn’t found team success in OKC.
While a lot of factors would have to align for them to end up at The Staples Center, what the Lakers wish for is not impossible–by any means.
Without question, how this evolves will be the most followed storyline in the NBA this off-season.
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Updated data as of April 24, 2018. Sources: Bleacher Report
