Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operation Magic Johnson is ready to take a wise approach in the upcoming free agency. The 2018 free agent class has drawn Johnson's interest. The Lakers have about $23 million in their cap space.
The Lakers have failed for the fourth year in a row to reach the NBA playoffs. The pressure is on the team to improve the roster. Though Johnson would like to bring some star talent to Los Angeles, his mind seems to be focused on the bigger picture.
''We can sign a free agent if we want to, but I’m really looking to keep the cap space that we have and really try to play in next year’s free agent class, and not really this free agent class,'' Johnson confessed on ESPN2's NBA Draft Combine coverage, as transcribed by Anthony Irwin of the Silver Screen and Roll.
George?
Indiana Pacers star Paul George is set to hit the market in 2018. George's arrival in Hollywood has been rumored for quite some time. Sam Amick of the USA TODAY Sports reported last month that George is as eager as you can get when it comes to joining the Los Angeles Lakers.
''Whether in free agency two summers from now or via trade before then, the four-time All-Star is still hell-bent on joining the Los Angeles Lakers. Maybe now more than ever,'' Amick wrote.
The Lakers have a big interest in bringing the star small forward to Los Angeles. They can bring George to the team as early as this summer. However, in order to do so, the Los Angeles franchise would need to work out a trade with Indiana.
The Pacers would without any doubt seek the young promising players of the Lakers like D'Angelo Russell or Brandon Ingram in return for George.
On the other side, the team could simply wait for a year to pass and sign George in 2018 by giving nothing in return. It remains to be seen what will magic johnson and the rest of the organization decide to do when it comes to that matter.
Not scared by LaVar
The antics of LaVar Ball won't prevent Magic Johnson from drafting Lonzo Ball in the upcoming NBA draft, should the opportunity arise. Lonzo's outspoken dad, LaVar, has made many headlines in the last couple of months. However, according to ESPN's Jeff Goodman, choosing UCLA star Ball is still an option for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Magic Johnson told me that Lavar Ball will not have any impact whatsoever on whether he would select Lonzo. https://t.co/Lka6y0oEmm
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) May 11, 2017
The Lakers have a top-3 protected in the upcoming draft. The team will lose its pick to the Philadelphia 76ers if it lands outside the top-3 spots. The annual draft lottery is scheduled to held on May 16 in New York City.
The only way for the Lakers to have a shot at drafting Ball is to end up having a top-3 pick. The ball is expected to be selected inside the top-3 positions.
