The Los Angeles Lakers have multiple avenues to upgrade the roster with offseason. Here are the five players the Lakers should prioritize targeting this summer.
The best way the Los Angeles Lakers can settle all of the turmoil and uncertainty surrounding the franchise currently is simply by having a positive outcome to this offseason. The Lakers have hired their next head coach Frank Vogel and added the team’s centerpiece last season by landing LeBron James. Now, what’s next?
The next step of their master plan has always been adding another superstar caliber player this summer to go along with The King. Whether that be teaming him up with a star like Kyrie Irving, that he has had proven success with, or bringing in another elite level player that can compliment James’ skill set.
Luckily for the Lakers, the summer of 2019 is loaded with All-Star level talent and franchise-altering players that are available via free agency or on the trade market.
This list focuses on which players the Lakers should make their top priority heading into the offseason and the all-important free agency period starting June 30. Landing any of these players would be considered a win this summer, but they would be a championship contender if they could land the guys near the top of the list.
The Lakers have many routes they can take this offseason, especially now that they hold the No. 4 pick in the NBA draft. They can either package that pick and some of their young talent and trade for a megastar like Anthony Davis, or they could hold on to all of their chips, draft a hopeful future star in the top five, add another top-level talent via free agency, which could be the better route.
Whatever path they choose to go down, the Lakers need to make a major move if they want to be taken seriously as a playoff contender, let alone a championship contender. There is no way the Lakers brass can sell the fans on bringing back a team with a similar roster make up, combined with bad one-year signings to go with it.
The one major snub from this list is the top free agent on the market Kevin Durant. Even though the Lakers and any team in the league would love to have Durant, with James on the roster and the Warriors and Knicks being the front runners to sign him, it is highly unlikely the Lakers can convince him to sign this summer.
But there is plenty of available talent that can be the piece that can put the Lakers back into the title conversation.
In order, these are the players the Lakers should prioritize on landing, to turn around the once glamorous franchise that has 16 championship banners hanging in their rafters.