When LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, most fans wondered what superstars would follow. When LeBron went to the Miami Heat, he brought Chris Bosh with him to join Dwyane Wade. When he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he brought Kevin Love with him to join Kyrie Irving. There are no true superstars on the Lakers team right now and it looks like LeBron is in no hurry to rush anyone there. According to ESPN, LeBron has made a very interesting decision on whether or not he wants to pressure the Lakers to trade for Kawhi Leonard in order to win now.
Kawhi Leonard and the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers want to bring in Kawhi Leonard. That is a report that came from numerous sources but the fact is that the San Antonio Spurs want a great deal in return for the superstar. If the Lakers want to trade for Kawhi now, they will have to give up a number of their top young stars.
The Lakers would have to reportedly give up Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, two first-round draft picks and some draft pick swaps. Yes, Los Angeles would get Kawhi but they would also lose a lot of talent around him and would have to rely on those two to lead the team. LeBron James knows that is not smart.
LeBron James willing to wait
LeBron James is reportedly not pressuring the Los Angeles Lakers to pull off a trade that will hurt them more than it will help them -- even for Kawhi Leonard.
The fact is that the Lakers don't have to make the trade right now and there is a chance that LeBron would rather miss out on his first NBA Finals in nine years in order to build a future in Los Angeles.
Here are the facts. Kawhi Leonard will become a free agent next summer, meaning if the Lakers are willing to wait until the 2019-20 NBA season to sign him, they can get him and not lose anything in return.
The Lakers can keep their young players, rid themselves of some one-year contracts they just signed, and still get the player they want by waiting.
LeBron James seems willing to wait. According to the reports, the Los Angeles Lakers have a plan in place to build their franchise for the future -- similar to what the Golden State Warriors did before them.
They can be patient and see what happens this season and then next summer sign Kawhi Leonard without worrying about trading anything.
The Lakers could even pull off a move that brings in someone like DeMarcus Cousins after his one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors ends as well. LeBron James knows this and seems willing to wait.