Lakers Rumors: Latest on Kawhi Leonard Trade, LeBron James Pursuit
The NBA free-agent moratorium begins Sunday, and no team may be under more pressure to deliver this offseason than the Los Angeles Lakers.
Sure, the Lakers have the salary cap space ($61.8 million) and general stature to sign at least one marquee star this offseason. Actually doing so may prove far easier said than done for general manager Rob Pelinka and team president Magic Johnson.
And whatever does or doesn't happen with the Lakers could have a domino effect for the rest of the league.
Below are the latest rumors for where things stand with two of Los Angeles' top targets: Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James.
Lakers Stepping Up Chase of Leonard
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported June 21 the San Antonio Spurs were largely ignoring any attempts by the Lakers to discuss a Leonard trade.
The Spurs have good reason not to sent Leonard to Los Angeles, largely because doing so would potentially set the Lakers up as a title contender in the Western Conference. The problem for San Antonio is, the Lakers can offer more assets than almost any other team.
According to USA Today's Sam Amick, the Lakers are pulling out all of the stops to entice the Spurs:
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski also reported Thursday that Los Angeles would be prepared to deal Brandon Ingram and a first-round pick to San Antonio. The Spurs, however, are holding out for a better trade package.
The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor believes Ingram would be a suitable return relatively speaking:
The Spurs ultimately have the final decision regarding a Leonard trade, but that's not to say they have all of the leverage.
Wojnarowski reported earlier this month that Leonard prefers a trade to his hometown of Los Angeles.
With that out in the open, plenty of trade suitors are going to wonder whether the two-time All-Star is going to be a one-year rental in 2018-19. That, in turn, could limit what they're willing to offer the Spurs.
The Boston Celtics, for instance, have more to give San Antonio than any other team in the league, but it's doubtful Celtics general manager Danny Ainge will go above and beyond to secure a trade:
Much like the Oklahoma City Thunder swooped in to acquire Paul George last summer, an unknown team could come from out of nowhere to snag Leonard this offseason.
Leonard is a top-five player when healthy. A smaller-market franchise that wouldn't otherwise be able to sign him has some incentive to put all of its chips on the table in the hope he might re-sign after a year or at least deliver enough short-term value in 2018-19 to justify the move.
While a trade to the Lakers seems the most likely end to the Leonard sweepstakes, it's far from a foregone conclusion.
James to Lakers May Not Hinge on Leonard Trade
The Lakers may have some urgency to hammering out a trade for Leonard sooner rather than later.
Wojnarowski, Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported for ESPN on Wednesday that James may not be enthusiastic about the idea of being the first star to go to the Lakers:
"There's a race to secure Leonard before James is faced with deciding whether to become a free agent on Friday, especially with concern that Oklahoma City's Paul George is no longer assured of signing with the Lakers, league sources said.
"Another preference by James that could impact free agency, league sources said, is that he wants to make a decision quickly in July free agency."
Failing to get Leonard may not matter if a report from ESPN's Stephen A. Smith proves true. According to Smith, James made contact with Kevin Durant about teaming up in Los Angeles:
Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon shot down both rumors regarding the four-time MVP:
The general uncertainty about James' future adds some risk for the Lakers were they to acquire Leonard, and it doesn't take much for that plan to blow up in the team's face.
Landing Leonard would be an obvious upgrade to the Lakers' roster, but he alone isn't going to make Los Angeles a contender. Presumably, the Lakers see Leonard as the piece that helps them land James or Durant, too.
But if James stays with the Cleveland Cavaliers or signs elsewhere and Durant returns to the Bay Area, then Leonard could be surrounded by a supporting cast that was seriously depleted this summer.
That's to say nothing of the concerns created by Leonard's lengthy absence this season. The way in which Leonard and the Spurs handled his recovery from a quad injury raised some alarms.
No team has more to gain than the Lakers in the offseason. They could go from a 35-win team to a franchise with three top-20 players, assuming they trade for Leonard and sign James and George.
With that said, the Lakers haven't actually landed a marquee free agent for a number of years, and the team should be wary of giving up too much for Leonard when it might be able to sign him in 2019.
Although Lakers fans are right to be optimistic about how the next month will play out, they should also be prepared for an offseason that fails to meet expectations.
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