The Los Angeles Lakers intentionally filled their roster with one-year contracts to maintain their salary cap flexibility for the summer of 2019 where several NBA superstars like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, DeMarcus Cousins, and DeAndre Jordan are expected to become unrestricted free agents.
The Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant could be at the top of that list.
I detailed the reasons why in my column at Basketball Society Online which you can read here.
Durant signed a two-year, $61.5 million contract with the Warriors and has the option to opt out ahead of the 2019-20 season, per Spotrac.
If Durant were to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers next offseason, it would leave Kevin Durant and LeBron James with a minimum of two years to play together.
Another option that the Lakers could take into consideration is to try to acquire New Orleans Pelicans forward, Anthony Davis via trade.
As for Anthony Davis:
Demps told Magic this is what he wanted:
✅Lonzo
✅Kuzma
✅Ingram
✅Zubac
✅Hart
✅KCP
✅2019 unprotected FRP
✅2020 FRP swap
✅2021 unprotected FRP
✅2022 FRP swap
✅2023 unprotected FRP
✅2019 and 2021 2nd round picks
Lakers said: 👎🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽
With the Pelicans hiring of David Griffin there could be hope for hoops fans that something could happen.
In order for that to happen, the Pelicans would still need to agree to agree to a trade.
That didn’t go so well at the NBA’s trading deadline on February 7th.
For those keeping score at home: The Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks did in fact inquire about Davis between January and February.
With the NBA Draft coming up, there could be more suitors looking to make a move.
Adding a max free agent and keeping the young core is still an option for the Lakers, also.
Keep in mind: Before the rash of injuries to LeBron James, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, the Lakers were only two games out of first place and on pace to win 50 or more wins this season.
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James injury is more complex than what has been initially reported, I’m told.
Per Lakers source: “LeBron could ‘rush back’ and return at the end of January. But he could very well be out until the end of February, or even longer.”
Some would argue that adding any mix of notable free agents like Durant or Kawhi Leonard in a mix with LeBron James and a more experienced, blossoming young core could create a legitimate championship contender, which I discussed here.
So will KD join the Lakers? Some chains of events earlier this season could lead one to believe that the Durant to LA rumors have legs.
Back in the fall, NBA veteran Jarrett Jack tweeted about Durant & Davis joining the Lakers and it being a done deal.
Man if y’all thought the league was in trouble before they bout to mess around and have AD KD and Bron all on the same team 🤦🏽♂️
Many made a spectacle when Durant’s mother told TMZ that she loved Magic Johnson and LeBron James. She did follow that up with stating: “My son has been in the NBA now for 11 years, so he’s wise enough to make the decision that’s best for him. I trust that.”
Earlier in the season, it was reported that the beef between Durant and Warriors teammate, Draymond Green had a lot to do with KD’s pending free agency this summer.
It is believed by some that that is why Durant quickly made the “toxic” comments to Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher about the Lakers and LeBron James.
Bucher believes that the New York Knicks are a top contender for Durant if he leaves the Golden State Warriors.
“I would expect that he goes to New York for a variety of reasons.” Bucher told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
Make sure to check out my assessment of the Lakers’ front office, coaching and more here.
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Lakers Free Agency Targets: Warriors’ Kevin Durant, Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard