Lakers Rumors: Latest on Possible Kawhi Leonard Trade and LA's 2018 Draft Plans

It has been a relatively quiet offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers so far, primarily due to the fact that they are without a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft. 

As the draft draws near, however, trade rumors are starting to pick up and the Lakers are likely to be heavily involved in any discussions of top players on the market—most notably San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard.

Here's a roundup of some of the latest rumors and reports concerning the Lakers' offseason plans. 

Kawhi Leonard Targets Los Angeles

On Friday afternoon, Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News reported that Kawhi Leonard wants out of San Antonio. 

The news didn't come as a shock after Leonard's tumultuous season, during which he appeared in just nine games. However, as recently as Monday, Young had reported that the damage done during the season was reaching a "healing stage" and the two sides were likely to discuss the five-year, $219 million supermax extension Leonard is eligible to receive.

It's unclear what went wrong during the past week, but a follow-up report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday clarified Leonard's demands:

From the Lakers' perspective, this is clearly great news. Since Leonard has just one year remaining on his contract before he is eligible to opt out, he has some leverage over the Spurs to dictate a trade destination. 

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Lakers fans should run out and buy purple and gold Leonard jerseys. 

For starters, San Antonio made the playoffs even without Leonard and may want to keep him around regardless of his trade demand to see if they can work through their issues and pursue another title during the 2018-19 season. 

Additionally, even if Leonard prefers a certain destination, it won't stop others from pursuing him.

Last offseason Paul George found himself in a similar situation as he was looking to move on from the Indiana Pacers. In June 2017, Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times reported that George was telling friends he intended to sign with the Lakers in 2018. Just days later he was acquired by the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

When players the caliber of George and Leonard hit the market, nearly every contender considers the possibility of a trade because of the impact they can have on an organization. Even if they don't intend to re-sign the next offseason, a lot can change over the course of 12 months in the NBA.

As the Lakers prepare an offer for Leonard, they will also have to contend with the reality that San Antonio will be reluctant to send one of the league's elite talents to another Western Conference rival.

If the Spurs are presented with two similar options from, for example, the Lakers and the Boston Celtics, accepting the Celtics deal would make the most sense.

As a result, the Lakers will need to be prepared to go above and beyond to put together the best possible offer.

So while the news that Leonard wants to join the Lakers is exciting for fans of the purple and gold, there are still a lot of obstacles in the way before that dream becomes a reality. 

Lakers Draft Plans

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

As the draft nears, the Lakers are continuing to visit with prospects who they may consider with the 25th pick, which was obtained from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the deal that brought Isaiah Thomas to Los Angeles in February. 

According to a team release, the latest top prospect to visit was USC point guard De’Anthony Melton.

Point guard doesn't appear to be a need for the Lakers as long as Lonzo Ball is around, but if they are going to pursue a trade for Leonard, it's likely that Ball's name will come up in conversation. ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton proposed a theoretical trade for Leonard that involved both Ball and Kyle Kuzma. 

So even if Melton isn't on their shortlist right now, the visit could simply be the Lakers doing their due diligence on a position that could unexpectedly emerge as a need before the draft. 

Melton is the No. 24 overall prospect on ESPN.com's Jonathan Givony's big board.