Windhorst: 'Not a Good Year' for LeBron James, Lakers to Be in Free-Agent Market

The Los Angeles Lakers need to get LeBron James help this offseason, but free agency may not be the best path to achieve that goal.

"It's not a good year for the Lakers to be in the free-agent market, to be honest with you," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on The Jump Thursday.

Now, that could be the case for a lot of reasons. A number of teams, for one, are going to have cap space as they pursue stars like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and DeMarcus Cousins. The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers, among others, are expected to make a splash. 

It's also possible that many of these players will simply return to their current teams. It's hard to imagine Thompson wearing a different uniform. Harris feels like a natural fit in Philly with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

And rumors continue to circulate around Leonard landing with the Clippers, or Irving and Durant pairing up with the Knicks.

If James wants to add a superstar this offseason, it may come down to the Lakers pulling off a blockbuster trade. Maybe they can finally land Anthony Davis or make a play for Bradley Beal. But free agency may not be the answer.