L.A. Lakers rumors were a hot topic during the June 14 episode of "Outside the Lines" on ESPN. Writer Kevin Pelton appeared on the show to discuss an article he had recently written. In that article, Pelton explained how it was possible for the Lakers to land Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, and Paul George in the same NBA offseason. Is it possible that the Lakers could be putting together the next super team to try to compete with the Golden State Warriors?

Lakers trade specifics

Pelton states that a trade of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Luol Deng to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard is something that could work.

The salaries match and it would free up the Lakers to entertain two additional big-name free agents. This is where LeBron James and Paul George could then sign with the Lakers, giving the franchise some veteran leadership to work with a young core of players.

Even without Ball and Kuzma, the Lakers would retain Brandon Ingram, giving the team a huge boost off the bench to work with James, Leonard, and George. If the Lakers were to instead trade Ingram and retain Ball, that would give the team a starting point guard to work with the three new All-Star players on the roster. From that point, it would require signing some free agents who would be willing to do so at a huge discount. Pelton suggest Nerlens Noel.

Would James and George sign with Los Angeles?

Even if the L.A. Lakers trade rumors lead to a deal for Kawhi Leonard, the front office would still have to convince LeBron James and Paul George to sign. James isn't even a free agent yet, so he has to opt out of his deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers before the Lakers can approach him.

If he does opt out, there are a high number of teams lining up to offer him a contract. George also has a player option with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but has stated that he plans to opt out.

Philadelphia 76ers lurking

One of the teams that the L.A. Lakers are competing with is the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers have cap space to also make a play on some of the potential free agents.

As previously reported on Blasting News, the 76ers expressed interest in both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. This followed suggestions in the media that LeBron James should take his talents to Philadelphia in order to complete "The Process" and lead the young roster into the playoffs.

For these potential dominoes to start falling in favor of the Lakers, Leonard would have to ask for a trade from the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs still control his contract, meaning he could still end up playing in San Antonio for many more seasons. But does he want to? That's one of the big questions as the NBA offseason really gets moving.
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