Lakers Rumors: Latest on Ian Clark, Free-Agency Plans and More

It took longer than usual, but the Los Angeles Lakers have started to fade from the summer spotlight.

Which isn't to say it wasn't an incredible run for the rebuilding, Magic Johnson-led franchise. The team didn't just dump D'Angelo Russell and the Timofey Mozgov contract, it hit one out of the park by stealing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and adding Lonzo Ball to pair with other pieces like Brandon Ingram.

Of course, we're not far away from the Lakers becoming one of the biggest rumor juggernauts once again as 2018 free agents start becoming linked to the team.

But a breather is nice, right? Here's the latest rumblings around the franchise.

Where the Rose Sweepstakes Went Wrong

Darren Abate/Associated Press

There was a stretch of time during free agency this year where it looked like the Lakers would be able to land a veteran point guard on the market for cheap, even after the front-loaded KCP signing ate up most of the available cash.

This meant a Rajon Rondo or Derrick Rose, though both have now found homes outside of the Los Angeles area. The former inked a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, while the latter just landed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a move the team announced on July 25.

Rose seemed the closest to coming aboard, at least until the two sides got into a serious discussion about role, according to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne:

Rose would've been an incredible addition for the Lakers, as it's not every day a rookie like Ball gets to learn from a former MVP. On the court, he still looked good while averaging 18.0 points and 4.4 assists with the New York Knicks a season ago, too.

Still, it's not too surprising both veterans decided to go elsewhere. Rondo will get big minutes in New Orleans and Rose might be the outright starter once the drama surrounding Cleveland settles.

Settling at backup point isn't ideal, but the Lakers knew the risk when throwing so much cash at KCP, which on its own was a smart move. 

Lakers Bow Out of Clark Sweepstakes, Free Agency

Jim Mone/Associated Press

The Lakers had another upside-oriented target in mind this summer with Ian Clark.

Clark, 26, ran with the Golden State Warriors a year ago and played a crucial role, shooting 48.7 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from three-point range last season, both improvements on his numbers from 2015-16 over more games.

It's not hard to see why the Lakers had an interest, though the same applies when trying to figure out why their interest waned, as noted by Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times:

Though Clark's market seems dry, it makes sense he'd hold out to see if he can get more playing time elsewhere, especially with a team like the Minnesota Timberwolves still having an interest in him, according to 1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson.

With only so much cap to go around, the Lakers likely tossed a minimum deal his way at best, which he'd be smart to refuse when pairing it with the limited playing time the depth chart offers. 

This resolution with Clark smacks of the entire story around the team right now, with it sounding like the Lakers have officially called it an offseason.

Here's Ganguli on the matter:

While maybe not what a certain segment of fans wanted to hear, there's nothing wrong with the Lakers wanting to take care of their own and riding with the new-look core into a new season.

Thomas Bryant, the rookie from Indiana selected at No. 42 this year, is certainly worth wrapping up. He's nice long-term depth behind guys like Brook Lopez, especially considering he's a center who shot 38.3 percent from range a year ago and has a high motor, meaning he could get out and run with Ball and the offense should he develop well.

Development of this core seems to be the name of the game moving forward for the Lakers, which makes sense given the cash situation. The front office angled itself in a way guaranteed to leave plenty of free cap space open for next summer when guys like Paul George and LeBron James hit the open market.

In the interim, the Lakers will let Ball, Ingram, KCP and others run wild on the court, developing together and perhaps wooing big-name free agents in the process.

While it's never fun to see the buzz around a team die down until a season starts, this offseason for the Lakers hasn't disappointed like a handful of those before it. A young core now hopes to make the same apply to the team's performance on the court.

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