3. Bright Lights in the Big City – Jeff Van Gundy, Carmelo Anthony, Jabari Parker
There’s always the chance the Lakers swing for the fences, connect, and crush a home run. As it stands, the Lakers have cast a wide net in terms of candidates they’re interested in, which includes both of the Van Gundy brothers. Jeff Van Gundy has a lot of experience as a coach, has been successful in the past, and has coached in big cities before. By most accounts, he’s one of the best prospective coaches on the market.
While the Lakers interest in Carmelo Anthony has reportedly wavered all season, it’s hard to say no if a superstar such as Melo comes knocking. Melo would be able to take the torch once Bryant leaves and, despite what the common idea is, could coincide with Bryant in the meantime.
In the draft, the Lakers could hit a homerun and land in the top 3, giving themselves a chance at a handful of elite prospects. You can’t go wrong with the choice between Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins, but I’m on the Parker hype train, so that’s my pick. A core of Bryant-Melo-Parker would be a great trio that would be a match-up nightmare for nearly on NBA teams.