Lakers Rumors: Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson Unlikely to Sign in LA

There is reportedly a belief within the NBA that the Los Angeles Lakers will fail to sign Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard or Klay Thompson in free agency this offseason.

According to The Athletic's Bill Oram, a league source deemed it unlikely that Durant, Leonard or Thompson will join the Lakers and suggested that L.A. will be "second or third" on the aforementioned players' wish lists.

With one game left to play this season, the Lakers are 10th in the Western Conference at 37-44 despite LeBron James' offseason arrival.

The upcoming offseason could be a make-or-break one for president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and the Lakers since there is pressure to take advantage of LeBron's remaining time as an elite player.

Signing a big-name free agent or two is a possibility, as is pooling young assets such as Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart to acquire All-Star big man Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Lakers reportedly attempted to trade for Davis during the season after he announced he would not sign an extension with the Pels, but no deal happened. New Orleans will almost certainly trade Davis this offseason so it doesn't lose him for nothing in 2020.

A Davis swap would require the Lakers to part with valuable pieces, whereas signing Durant, Leonard or Thompson would only cost money.

Leonard and Thompson are both multi-time All-Stars and are from the L.A. area. Meanwhile, Durant is the reigning two-time NBA Finals MVP.

Last week, LeBron and KD engaged in a secretive conversation on the court during a game between the Lakers and Warriors:

That led to speculation regarding whether Durant might join the Lakers in free agency and form one of the most dominant duos in NBA history with James.

Provided the Lakers can't land Durant or Thompson from the Warriors nor Leonard from the Toronto Raptors, other free-agent options could include Jimmy Butler of the Philadelphia 76ers, Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets or Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks.

LeBron could also reunite with former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving if the latter decides to leave the Boston Celtics in free agency.

A source close to James told Oram, "You don't need names, you need games," and suggested that the Lakers could build a winner with less-splashy signings such as Marcus Morris from Boston or Nikola Mirotic from Milwaukee.

The Lakers appear to be a long way from contention, and adding at least one superstar to play alongside James may be the quickest way to get there.

Based on Oram's report, however, the Lakers' free-agent options may be limited, which could further convince them to make a play for Davis.