Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles still front-runner to sign Paul George

Recent Lakers rumors have been about a good amount of their players being on the trading block. However, it appears that they are still the front-runners to sign Paul George in free agency.

With the NBA Trade Deadline getting close, there have been plenty of rumors surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers. Due to the poor season so far, the Lakers are not in playoff contention once again this season. With that being said, the Lakers’ goal is still to have as much cap space available for next offseason.

So far, it appears like Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., and Jordan Clarkson are the most likely players to be moved on the team. All three should generate a good amount of interest before the trade deadline, as they can certainly help a contending team.

While all three are young players, the Lakers are still focused on landing a big name in free agency. Over the summer, all of the talks were surrounding then Pacers forward, Paul George. The Pacers ended up dealing George to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he hasn’t signed an extension with them and appears to be heading toward free agency in the offseason.

Recently, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com wrote about George’s plan. Here’s what he had to say.

"Nevertheless, the Lakers were the team to beat when the Thunder made the trade, and that probably hasn’t changed — although Oklahoma City has made a favorable impression on George and ultimately hopes to turn George with a deep playoff run. George has remained open-minded on a Thunder future, but there’s a long way to go."

Seeing that the Lakers are still potentially the front-runners for George is certainly encouraging. If the Lakers do end up moving players like Randle and Clarkson, it becomes even more important for them to sign a player like George.

With a good young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma in place, the Lakers are certainly heading in the right direction. However, those three players do still have some developing to do.

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If George is alright with not competing for a championship right away, the Lakers do have a very bright future in the next couple of years. A lot of George’s decision will likely come down to how successful the Thunder are in the playoffs this season. With the Western Conference being very difficult, the Lakers will certainly be hoping for a quick exit for the Thunder.