Lakers Rumors: Latest on LeBron James' Future, Possible Kawhi Leonard Trade
Stop us if you've heard this one before—the Los Angeles Lakers are going big-game hunting over the upcoming NBA offseason.
On second thought, don't stop us—you haven't heard this. Not with odds this good of actually coming to fruition, at least.
To be clear, we're not saying the Lakers will vault themselves into title contention this summer. We're not even saying the team will dramatically reshape its roster.
We're just saying there's a chance. And when that chance relates to superstar talents like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard possible coming on board, well, little else needs to be said to increase the buildup for the latest round of Lakers rumors.
Second Star Needed To Attract LeBron
As if dreaming of adding King James wasn't big enough on its own, the Lakers can afford to aim higher with trade chips to fuel a blockbuster and a path to a pair of max-contract slots.
It sounds like L.A. may need to put all of its resources into play for a shot at the Chosen One.
While USA Today's Sam Amick relayed that the Lakers "are widely seen as the greatest threat to lure James away from his home state," he also included a pretty significant caveat.
"The notion of him heading to Los Angeles without another co-star in two, of leaving the East after eight consecutive Finals appearances to play in a Western Conference where Golden State and Houston have proven their prowess, is widely viewed as lunacy," Amick wrote.
In other words, the world's most grandiose recruiting pitch isn't going to cut it. That's just as well, since ESPN's Ramona Shelburne hears James "has no intention of hearing elaborate pitch meetings from teams."
James knows the lay of the land well enough to not base his decision on clever marketing ploys. This could be the last major move of the 33-year-old's career, and there's zero consensus on where he stands in the race with that ghost from Chicago.
James also knows his presence alone likely isn't enough to transform the Lakers into world-beaters. While their young core had some exciting moments last season, they still finished just 35-47—the fifth consecutive year in which they've had a losing record and missed out on the playoffs.
While some might debate where the Lakers would rank in the West even with James and a second star (Paul George, Kawhi Leonard), the two-headed addition would clearly move them closer to the top.
Spurs' Kawhi Plan Doesn't Include Lakers (Yet)
Kawhi Leonard wants away from the San Antonio Spurs and back into his native Los Angeles—preferably with the Lakers—league sources told ESPN's Chris Haynes recently.
So far, San Antonio sounds zero percent interested in granting Leonard's wish.
"Fellow West teams have been told, in essence, to get lost," Amick reported. "... As it stands, the Spurs are determined to either fix the situation or trade Leonard to an Eastern Conference team."
As Shelburne reported, the Lakers were quickly rebuffed in a recent attempt to engage the Spurs:
This makes sense on an emotional level. Shipping Leonard to a conference rival keeps him a little too close to home, especially if he plays a part in restoring the Lakers to glory.
That said, this sounds nonsensical from a basketball standpoint. If the Spurs are forced to move Leonard—Haynes says there's a feeling of betrayal on Leonard's part that "at this juncture, appears irreparable"—they owe it to themselves to land the best-possible package regardless of trade partner.
Maybe someone trumps what the Lakers can offer. Both the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers can theoretically form stronger packages, but would they part with top assets when Leonard can enter free agency already next summer? Can they even afford to given his apparent interest in going back to Cali?
It's not like the Lakers can only put chump change on the table. Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart are all interesting pieces and 23 or younger. Plus, L.A. owns all of its future first-round picks, so trade sweeteners are readily accessible.
This will be a fascinating summer for many reasons, but Leonard's situation is near the top of that list. If the Spurs open up the bidding process for Leonard—a 26-year-old with two Defensive Player of the Year awards, a Finals MVP and a single-season scoring average of 25.5 points per game on his resume—the ensuing war could be incredible.
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