The Los Angeles Lakers are in a great position of pulling off a historic free-agency coup next summer, thanks to the efforts of team president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka.
The Lakers front-office tandem proved more than capable in their respective jobs as they were able to create flexibility in their payroll, and at the same time, bring positive vibes back in the purple-and-gold organization this off-season.
Making the right moves
Apart from selecting pass-first, charismatic point guard Lonzo Ball with the no.2 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, Los Angeles added several key pieces that could help speed up their growth.
Gone was Timofey Mozgov’s burdensome contract after he was traded along with former top-2 pick D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for two-time All-Star big man Brook Lopez, whose contract expires at the end of this coming season.
Two-way player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope joined the party as well by signing a one-year, $18 million pact, while rookie forward Kyle Kuzma looked like a terrific find at no.27 overall after a strong outing in Summer League.
Far from Done
The Magic-Pelinka regime will stop at nothing – even a $500,000 tampering fine won’t - until they make the Lakers a championship contender once more. Although postseason appearance might still be a stretch this season, the Lakers are nevertheless expected to be a major force in the coming years especially if they can land next summer’s marquee free-agents.
LeBron James, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook could all be available in the free-agency market next year, and all three superstars could all end up wearing purple-and-gold uniforms soon if the Lakers front-office pushes the right buttons.
George has been linked to the Lakers ever since he announced his decision to opt out of the final year of his current deal and become an unrestricted free-agent in 2018.
That decision prompted the Indiana Pacers to trade him to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where another free agency prospect, Westbrook, is playing.
Then, there’s the drama surrounding LeBron’s possible free-agency. The four-time NBA MVP will be entering the second year of his $100 million contracts he signed with the Cavs in 2016.
He can become the alpha-dog of next year’s free agency class if he opts out of the third year of that deal.
With Cleveland’s championship core starting to unravel one-by-one (Kyrie Irving trade), LeBron is reportedly eyeing a move to Hollywood where he can win more championships and expand his growing business brand. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report reported that James would love to team up with fellow triple-double machine Westbrook, though he didn’t mention which team they want to play together.
But make no mistake, the Lakers are a legit contender to all of these free-agents. Westbrook is an L.A native and playing home certainly looks intriguing. So is George whom many believe a shoo-in Lakers' signing next year.
The KCP deal also established the Lakers’ backchannel link to James since the player’s friend, Rich Paul, is Caldwell-Pope’s agent.
Whatever happens between now and next year’s free-agency, Johnson and Pelinka achieved something the previous administration couldn’t pull off: The Lakers are an appealing destination for free-agents again.
