Lakers News: Latest Rumors on Kawhi Leonard, James Ennis III, More
The Los Angeles Lakers are still waiting for the second significant piece of their offseason roster puzzle to slot into place.
The Lakers are one of three teams vying for the free-agent signature of Kawhi Leonard, who is the last major free agent left on the market after Sunday's dealmaking spree.
The quest to add Leonard to Anthony Davis and LeBron James on the Lakers roster is picking up some momentum on the rumor mill, but nothing is guaranteed yet with the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors still in contention.
Once the Leonard news breaks, the Lakers are going to have to fill the rest of their roster either through minimum veteran and rookie contracts to complement their Big Three or by using the money reserved for Leonard to spend on complementary pieces to Davis and James.
Latest Lakers Rumors
Kawhi Leonard
ESPN's Brian Windhorst believes the Lakers are starting to gain traction in the hunt for Leonard (h/t RealGM).
"We don't know where Kawhi is going. I am feeling more like the Lakers are a chance. I wouldn't have thought that was a chance. I thought it was Clippers for a long time and then I thought maybe he'll stay in Toronto. I do believe there is some real traction towards the Lakers. I still think the Clippers are the pick, but I admit I don't know at this point."
The allure of playing for one of the most prestigious franchises in the NBA and alongside two of the game's top stars has to be intriguing to Leonard.
What differentiates Leonard from other top-tier free agents is he is not ring-chasing. He already has two titles to his name, and he will not be joining the Lakers for the sole purpose of cementing his legacy with a title.
Leonard knows what it takes to win a championship, and so does James. Together with Davis, they could dominate the league for years to come, no matter how much of a threat teams like the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets or Philadelphia 76ers become.
If Leonard wants to be the top superstar on a team, the Clippers or Raptors would be his best possible option since he would be the star on both rosters.
Both of those teams have playoff-caliber rosters already too, so there is no massive dip in quality between any of the three contenders and their championship quality with Leonard in tow.
If Leonard joins the Lakers, they will have to get creative with adding veterans on smaller deals and bringing in rookies on cheap contracts.
But if the Lakers miss out on Leonard, it will not be a massive loss for the roster. In fact, it could help them build a more well-rounded roster since they would likely use the max space created for Leonard on a handful of quality complementary pieces to Davis and James.
James Ennis III
According to SNY's Ian Begley, the Lakers have interest in James Ennis III, as well as the Clippers and New York Knicks.
The 29-year-old has bounced around with four franchises over the last two seasons, and he spent last season as a role player in Houston and Philadelphia.
Ennis averaged 6.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game between his stints with the Rockets and Sixers.
The Lakers would likely look at the small forward as a piece off the board to spell James and Kyle Kuzma.
Ennis has never been a massive contributor in the NBA in terms of scoring, but if the Lakers believe he can produce quality minutes off the bench, he would be a good, cheap option on a squad that is going to have to be pieced together regardless of what happens with Leonard.
T.J. McConnell
According to SKOR North's Darren Wolfson, the Lakers are one of many teams looking at guard T.J. McConnell.
McConnell falls into the same category as Ennis as a rotation player who could provide a boost off the bench in certain situations.
Throughout his four years in Philadelphia, McConnell carved out a niche for himself on the team's second unit and averaged over six points per game in each season.
McConnell has also averaged over four assists and one steal per game in his four seasons, which makes him one of the more reliable backup guards on the market.
If he continues to produce at a similar level, McConnell will be a valuable roster piece wherever he lands.
In the Lakers' case, he would be a good floor general for the second unit, just like Troy Daniels will be from the shooting guard position when it comes to providing a boost in shooting from beyond the arc.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.
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