1. Get two max players through trade or free agency
The list of superstar players that could switch teams this offseason is staggering. Franchise changing players like LeBron James, Paul George, and DeMarcus Cousins are all available and the Lakers are expected to be in talks with all three of them this offseason. The Lakers are one of the only teams in the league with the cap flexibility to sign two max players because of the trade they made at the deadline.
However, they have not convinced a star free agent to come to Los Angeles this decade, and that is why they need to make a major splash this year. With Magic Johnson making the pitch it becomes more likely, but if they do not get any of the big three targets then their previous moves to free up $70 million in cap space look suspect.
After the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first round exit, Paul George looks more likely to come to the Lakers this offseason. LeBron has also had to carry the Cavaliers a ton in the playoffs, so he is might want to take his talent somewhere else as well.
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The other option for them is to trade some of their young players for an all-star on the block. The best player on the trading block this offseason is certainly the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard, but they have already come out and said that they do not want to help teams within the western conference. Yet if the best trade package comes from the Lakers, it will be hard to deny the offer.
If the Lakers accomplished this goal it would put them immediately into the title conversation, a place they haven’t been since 2012.