2. Young, Wild, and Free – Kevin Ollie, Greg Monroe, Noah Vonleh
The Lakers could look to turn a new leaf and bring in a totally new group of youngsters. With Ollie, they’d be bringing in one of the hottest names on the market and one of the best coaches in the college ranks. Just a few years removed from his playing days in the NBA, Ollie won a title in his second year coaching. Many consider Ollie to be the next great thing, and the Lakers management might be enamored by him.
In free agency, they could look to target a handful of young, restricted free agents. The likes of Gordon Hayward, Eric Bledsoe, and Greg Monroe will all be available, but it seems like Monroe might be the most likely to be available as Phoenix and Utah seem willing to match offers for Bledsoe and Hayward, respectively. That isn’t to say Monroe couldn’t be a solid pickup and really could blossom into something special in LA.
With the draft, the Lakers could bring in the youngest of prospects in forward/center Noah Vonleh. Vonleh has all the physical gifts that you want in a NBA player, but still has a lot of developing to do. The downside to the pick and the strategy in general is that it contradicts Bryant’s plea to “win now” and it also leaves limited room for a player like Kevin Love next summer.