Lakers News: Latest on Paul George Pursuit, Rebuilding Process and More

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered through a 26-56 season in 2016-17—their fourth-straight losing campaign—but have been front and center in plenty of NBA news this offseason.

After all, it is one of the league's marquee franchises and added UCLA star Lonzo Ball and formidable big man Brook Lopez. There are also plenty of rumblings Indiana Pacers star Paul George will eventually join the Purple and Gold as a free agent following the 2017-18 season.

The news continues to churn regarding Los Angeles. With that in mind, here is the latest on a potential George-Klay Thompson combination, optimism about the upcoming season and the re-signing of a decent role player.

Paul George Looking to Play With Klay Thompson

Kelenna Azubuike of NBC Sports Bay Area made waves when he said George "definitely has put in a call to Klay Thompson and he would like to play with him in LA," via 95.7 The Game.

The idea of George on the Lakers is nothing new since Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported he told the Pacers front office he plans on leaving the team in the summer of 2018 and prefers to play in Los Angeles.

As a four-time All-Star and three-time member of an All-Defensive team who just scored a career-high 23.7 points a night this past season, George can serve as the face of the franchise for years to come as it looks to shift from rebuilding into winning mode. He is also just 27 years old and playoff tested.

However, he will likely need more than just Ball and Lopez to challenge the upper echelon of the Western Conference, and Thompson would be a major addition. The sharp-shooter is an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 campaign, per Spotrac.

Thompson is in a seemingly perfect situation with the defending champion Golden State Warriors, but financial issues may eventually creep in regarding the long-term sustainability of the core group. Stephen Curry is lined up for a max deal this offseason, and potentially re-signing Kevin Durant, Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala could take its toll.

It is not a significant stretch to see Thompson win another championship or two before hitting free agency and targeting the Lakers and George. He is a Los Angeles native and could help his hometown team take the next step.

George probably wouldn't have reached out if he didn't think the pairing was at least possible.

General Manager Doesn't See 2017-18 as a Throwaway Season

Chris Pizzello/Associated Press

Los Angeles' eyes are on the long-term future when potential free agents such as George or even LeBron James could be targets, but general manager Rob Pelinka isn't ready to overlook the upcoming season.

"We don't see next year at all as a rebuilding year," he said, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN. "We see it as a Lakers year."

While the definition of a Lakers year is open to interpretation, he seemed to indicate he wants a competitive team on the floor. Los Angeles added Ball and Lopez—with the latter coming in a trade sending D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets—and youngsters such as Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson figure to take steps with more experience under their belt.

Ball will run the show, and president of basketball operations Magic Johnson already called the No. 2 pick "the new face of the Lakers," per J.A. Adande of ESPN. He was a consensus All American in his one season at UCLA with 14.6 points, 7.6 assists and 6.0 rebounds a night and figures to display his impressive passing skills at the next level.

Lopez will give him a proven weapon to target down low after he averaged 20.5 points a night in 2016-17, his second straight season with more than 20 points per game.

If the duo plays up to its potential and the others take strides, a Lakers year will mean an important step in the right direction.

David Nwaba Staying in Los Angeles

David Nwaba won't take a starring role from Ball or Lopez, but he will be around after the Lakers exercised their $1.3 million option on his contract Wednesday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

Los Angeles called Nwaba up from the then D-League in February, and he proceeded to average six points a night behind 58 percent shooting from the field. He was also a solid defender, and opponents shot 6.7 percent worse than their normal averages from three-point range and 4.7 percent worse than normal beyond 15 feet when he guarded them, per NBA.com.

Nwaba isn't someone who is likely to ascend into superstardom, but he gives the Lakers a promising role player who can take some of the defensive pressure off the starters' shoulders throughout a long campaign.