Lakers’ Top-Two Free Agent Targets Under Magic Johnson Revealed

Magic Johnson Lakers free agency

Getty Los Angeles Lakers former president Magic Johnson

The Los Angeles Lakers have their sights set on adding star power during 2019 NBA free agency, but what names they’ll target remains the big question. And with Magic Johnson opting to resign (and bringing plenty of drama in the process), it’s become even more of a hot-button topic.

Names like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson and quite a few others are expected to be on the open market. But how the Lakers will approach that list makes for an interesting storyline.

But with Magic no longer involved with the franchise, it appears his original plans prior to leaving have come to light, and they did not feature an attempt to lock in on either Golden State Warriors star.

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Lakers Free Agency: Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard Were Top Targets

While Durant is expected to be the most sought-after free agent on the market, it appears Johnson was well aware and instead was planning to go a different route. As Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times reported, the Lakers were going to target either Kawhi Leonard or Kyrie Irving for their max contract this offseason.

This move can’t be considered all that surprising, as Leonard and Irving have both been rumored to have interest in the Lakers previously. Although, the same can be said for Durant, whose future has become even more up in the air over the past few days.

As Marc Stein of the New York Times reported, the Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as an “equally dangerous threat to the Knicks” to sign Durant from the Warriors.

Within the last month, very smart and plugged-in people I have consulted say that the Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as an equally dangerous threat to the Knicks to sign Durant away from Golden State. And I believe it.


Lakers’ Free Agency Outlook

Regardless of whether the Lakers are in the mix for Durant this offseason or not, LeBron James will have a chance to recruit a number of high-profile players. One big question is who would be the best fit to play alongside LeBron, as some believe the Warriors star actually isn’t the ideal option currently.

With that said, many like the idea of Leonard or Irving being added to the mix. We’ve seen James and Irving work previously, although the idea of pursuing Butler or even Walker would be interesting as well. The Lakers have money to spend, and they need to target someone who can step in and immediately make an impact on both ends.

Which approach the front office takes is going to be interesting to monitor, but there are multiple big decisions to be made in the coming months.

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