Lakers Rumors: Latest on Possible Kawhi Leonard Trade, Carmelo Anthony and More

The Los Angeles Lakers feel like a half-written story.

Given the strength of the Golden State Warriors and Western Conference overall, adding LeBron James isn't enough. Based on some of the rumblings coming off the rumor mill, Magic Johnson and a front office finally seeing its efforts pay off seem to know this.

How much more the Lakers can do remains to be seen. Ripping a superstar away from another team via a trade risks losing some of the carefully crafted core, built over a number of years while free agents ignored the team. Speaking of free agents, adding more could risk upsetting the balance of the roster.

Still, the Lakers didn't get to where they are with James ready to fight for a Finals berth by shying away from risks.

Carmelo Time? 

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It seemed like a matter of time before Carmelo Anthony and James joined forces somewhere.

Maybe the Lakers weren't the guessed destination, but it's looking more and more like it could happen, with Anthony's time with the Oklahoma City Thunder apparently at an end. Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young of ESPN.com reported Anthony's reps will look for a way to get him out of town, whether it's via trade, release or a stretch provision.

As it turns out, L.A. is a preferred destination thanks to James:

The Lakers aren't the only option for Anthony, with Wojnarowski and Young reporting the Houston Rockets and Miami Heat will also likely "express interest" in finding a way to bring him aboard.

But the Lakers seem to have the advantage, should they want him. James is not only James, but he's also good friends with Anthony. On the court, playing in a secondary role while not getting too much in the way of younger players like Brandon Ingram suits the 34-year-old Anthony. He would be asked to do too much or too little in Miami and Houston, respectively.

While Anthony isn't as revered as he used to be, he fits the theme of the Lakers' additions around James. Like Rajon Rondo, he's a veteran with experience on massive stages who can adapt and unblinkingly perform.

For Lakers fans, it will likely come down to expectations, so setting them accordingly if Anthony comes to town is key.

Damian Lillard Trade? 

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Here's a new one.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard has found his name popping up on the rumor mill lately, which isn't too much of a surprise after his team mostly stood pat in free agency. He had been requesting meetings with management before free agency to talk with those in control about recruiting free agents.

Now Lillard's name is coming up alongside the Lakers. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith recently noted some insider info from the star point guard's camp, prefacing it by saying he still wants to win in Portland if possible.

"You have people in Damian Lillard's camp and on his side looking for him to leave," Smith said (h/t NESN's Dakota Randall). "And he is open to leaving, even though he loves being in Portland."

This seems like a non-story, except Lillard is out on social media commenting on the situation:

Lillard would be a win-now boon for the Lakers if they were able to swing a trade. He's a superstar at the age of 27 coming off a season in which he averaged 26.9 points and 6.6 assists.

But the Trail Blazers aren't likely to cough up a superstar with three years left on his deal to appease James and the Lakers. While they probably aren't making the Finals given the depth of the conference, just offering up a superstar for the sake of doing so and likely going against the plan they have in place doesn't make sense.

Then again, if Lillard decides to push the issue, who knows? It's at least something to have in the back of the mind.

All Things Kawhi Leonard 

The tiring saga between the San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard keeps dragging like an iffy sitcom networks keep extending and viewers only watch to see what happens at the end. 

The end for this one is Leonard joining the Lakers. 

This has seemed obvious for a while, as Leonard's camp has been pretty strident in telling the world it's Lakers or nothing, meaning Eastern Conference teams have likely shied away. To start July, Wojnarowski reported Leonard still wanted to join the Lakers.

But a new report from ESPN.com's Michael C. Wright on the Count the Dings network's Back to Back podcast complicates things.

"The Lakers are not Kawhi's preferred destination anymore," Wright said. "He wants to go to the Clippers. Because he doesn't want to go and be second fiddle to LeBron. That's what I was told. I was told by somebody that would know. So right now, the Clippers are where he wants to go."

Where and how the Los Angeles Clippers got involved in this is hard to say, though it does seem like something that might leak if the Spurs weren't receiving the compensation they wanted in a trade. It doesn't seem likely Leonard would join a ravaged roster without another superstar. Nor would it seem like the Clippers have anywhere close to the ammunition necessary to pull off a deal.

Which isn't to say a move like this is impossible. Lost in the drama is the fact Leonard is a top-five player who has clashed with the Warriors and emerged a winner already. He doesn't need James or the Lakers, and he's more than capable of recruiting stars to join him wherever he lands.

It will be interesting to see whether the Lakers overreact to rumblings Leonard moves to the city with a different team. They run the risk of paying the Spurs too much, though one has to wonder how much is too much if it means guaranteeing a pairing of Leonard and James.