Los Angeles Lakers: Will they get a superstar this summer?

After a disappointing season, will the Los Angeles Lakers be able to land a superstar this summer?

The 2018-19 season was lamentable to say the least for the Los Angeles Lakers and the fans that had to endure it. There were some highs and there were some lows. Some very deep lows, like Crypts of Winterfell low. But there is a bright side, that’s all in the past now.

We can now move on and move forward with the future, which on paper, should be very bright for the Purple and Gold. It’s no secret that the Lakers are going to be in heavy pursuit of another superstar to pair with LeBron James for his subsequent season as a Laker. With cap space, the city of Los Angeles, and young tradeable players, they should be able to make it happen. But, are we sure that the Lakers can make it happen?

If it was last August and we all still had the hope and ambition for LeBron’s first season and the young guys all progressing, I would 100% say, yes of course the Lakers are getting a superstar free agent in the 2019 summer. But it isn’t, and now I have to say with an open mind that I do not think the Lakers can get the superstar they want this summer.

There are too many obstacles for the Lakers to have to go through for them to land a big name. The organization is in shambles, other teams now have as much or more to offer as the Lakers, both in free agency and the trade market, and I’m not too sure players want to play with LeBron as much as they used to.

I’ll start with one of the more glaring issues. Brandon Ingram‘s health is now a huge liability in all trade talks this summer. Ingram was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis in his right arm last month, the same diagnosis that ended Chris Bosh‘s career.

DVT is a blood clot that can cause life-threatening complications and the treatment requires you to take blood thinners which you are not allowed to play while on them. Now while Ingram is expected to make a full recovery and be ready by next season, if you were the New Orleans Pelicans, would you would be willing to trade Anthony Davis for an injured Ingram who wasn’t allowed to train and improve for months over the offseason?

The Lakers were already going to have a difficult time putting together a better trade package than the Boston Celtics or the Los Angeles Clippers. Even the Knicks have more to offer at this point than the Lakers do. So not only will Ingram be missing months of time he could have spent training, but now there’s a great chance we couldn’t trade him if we wanted to. The one bright side is that Ingram was averaging 27.8 points per game on 57% shooting after the All-Star break leading up to the injury. All we can do is hope that is the Ingram we get next season.

So, since the Lakers most likely out of the Anthony Davis trade talks, free agency is the best option. Maybe best isn’t the ideal word to describe it. More like the only option. With that being said, free agency will most likely be as disappointing as we have seen it be the last 5+ years. The Lakers have the money to sign practically anyone we want, but unfortunately the problem isn’t the money, it’s the Lakers. Are we sure any superstar actually wants to come play for the Lakers?

The entire organization is in shambles, there is currently have no president, no head coach, half a roster of young (and probably resentful) players who’s future is bleak, and a first-time general manager who somehow didn’t lose his job and now is pretty much making all of the decisions. If you were a superstar free agent entering 2019, would you want to go to that team?

Now the Clippers have been an afterthought to the Lakers since…..umm…well…forever. Even when they were good, no one liked or cared about them. But the times have changed. The Clippers organization knows exactly what they are doing and they are far better suited than the Lakers to get one, maybe even two superstars this offseason.

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The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor wrote an article the other day detailing how the Clippers can go from an 8 seed to a 1 seed this offseason. Essentially the Clippers have the opportunity, if they want to, to make some moves to free up cap space to potentially sign both Durant and Kawhi this summer. They have the money, the attractive city, and a perfect team for superstars looking to relocate and compete right away.

Who wouldn’t want to join a team whose two best players come off the bench? You get to automatically establish yourself as the dominate scorer in the starting lineup without disrupting the current offensive flow whatsoever. Look at the adjustment the Lakers had to make after adding LeBron. Kuzma and Ingram looked lost in the offense during stretches of the game because they didn’t know what their role with LeBron was supposed to be. With all that said, it seems the Clippers will be the most sought out choice of the LA teams to join this offseason.

So where do we go from here?

It’s seems we’re left with one option, unless of course the ping pong ball magically bounces our way and we land the number one pick in the draft and the Lakers get to play Who Wants to be a Zion Williamsonaire and trade him to the highest bidder. That option is to try and go after the second tier free agents like Kemba Walker or Jimmy Butler. Either could be a decent acquisition for the right price and a guard like Kemba that can bring guaranteed offense to a team that would closely replicate pick up game basketball than an NBA team during stretches last season, could fit nicely next to LeBron and Ingram.

Whatever happens this offseason will most likely determine how LeBron’s Laker Legacy turns out. They could try and get someone like Bob Myers to be president and completely change how this organization is run and maybe turn everything around. Or, they can spend the offseason with the team under control of under-qualified GM signing vets to 1-year deals in hopes 2020 is our offseason to shine.

Who knows, maybe Oklahoma City has accepted that their chances with Russell Westbrook leading them to a title are gone and they are ready to answer the phone. Maybe they make a deal to bring Russ home. Could you imagine if the Lakers got Westbrook and Durant went to the Clippers with Kawhi.

Oh my, the playoff series between those two teams battling for the pride of Los Angeles on top of the already established rivalries between those players. Wow, something to think about for the next three months as we do what we have done every summer for the last 7 years, sit back, relax and wait.