Lakers Rumors: Latest on Draft Plans and Pursuit of Free Agents

When it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers, anything can happen as one of the Association's legendary franchises looks to rebuild.   

General manager Mitch Kupchak and the front office continue to rebuild and at least put up the appearance of an organization learning from its mistakes of the Dwight Howard era.

It shouldn't shock, then, that the team's name continues to come up in chatter surrounding a major free agent, with other whispers suggesting the front office might get crazy with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

That's one way for an organization to grab the headlines, right? Below, let's round up the latest to keep up, because it's sure not to remain the "latest" for long when it comes to the Lakers.

L.A.'s LaMarcus Aldridge Chances

This won't come as a shock to anyone: The Lakers would love to ink LaMarcus Aldridge to a contract.

Nobody official from the organization needs to say it, either. Aldridge is one of the best players in the league, is 29 years old and just averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks on a 22.85 player efficiency rating, per ESPN.com.

Any team not wanting to sign Aldridge with it sounding like his leaving the Portland Trail Blazers will happen needs to admit the tank job is on in full force.

Los Angeles would want him, of course, to pair next to last year's top-five selection Julius Randle. It's a formidable hypothetical front, and it even opens things up for the team early on in the draft.

One problem—when dollar signs are involved, even the Lakers can lose. Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher provides some context:

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The Lakers and Knicks are not considered viable options, league sources said, because Aldridge isn't likely to sacrifice $27 million—the difference between a max five-year deal with the Blazers and a four-year deal with anyone else—to join a rebuilding team in a bigger, more expensive market.

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It's an interesting nugget, as it sounds like Aldridge doesn't want to sacrifice so much cash if it means going to a rebuilding team. Texas teams like the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs sound like more surefire destinations, as the cash pill becomes easier to swallow for the sake of contending.

For the Lakers, it seems it would come down to pitching just how far out contending is for the organization. Los Angeles, even at a $27 million deficit, isn't such a hard sell with endorsements and other things to close the gap.

While it sounds like the Lakers are out of the picture, keep a close eye on the situation. Things change, and this one comes rather early in the process, leaving Kupchak plenty of time to work some magic.

Lakers to Shock at No. 2?

After the lottery, the Lakers made most "winner" lists.

At No. 2, if the front office wanted to grab a big man, it figured to be in a position to land one of Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor. If the organization wanted to get a guard to complement Randle down low and help keep Kobe Bryant involved, it figured to have its pick of D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay.

Nobody thought much about Kristaps Porzingis.

Except the Lakers, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein:

Smokescreen? Perhaps, but there's no reason to think the Latvia native isn't worth the selection just due to a lack of name recognition.

Over at ESPN.com, Chad Ford ranks him the No. 5 prospect, writing the following in a recent review:

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Porzingis continues to be the wild card in this draft. Some teams have him ranked as high as No. 2 and No. 3 on their boards, while others have him in the eight to 10 range. The teams that have him high point to his unique combination of size, athleticism and skill. It's rare to find a 7-footer who can protect the rim, shoot the 3 and make high-IQ basketball plays. Teams that have him ranked lower worry about his thin frame and lack of rebounding in Spain.

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For his part, Porzingis believes he shows well in workouts with teams and those who don't know him well will change their minds now that he's doing the door-to-door work any top prospect does before the draft.

“I think that I showed my range and how big I am in person,” Porzingis said, per Slam Magazine's Rodger Bohn. “I’m 7-1 with good mobility, am pretty quick for my size, and have good athleticism. I’m really long and can block shots on defense, too.”

It's not hard to see why the Lakers may have an interest in the versatile big man. He's not a household name per se, but it sure wouldn't take long for him to become one next to Randle down low in Los Angeles.

At the least, Lakers fans know where and what to watch for when it comes to a draft-day shocker. It also doesn't hurt that the team has other franchises scratching their chins, which could help the team move around if it wants to on draft day.

Regardless, interest in Porzingis is a smart move.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.