We are months away from the start of NBA free agency, but that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from already churning out every possible scenario for the Lakers, who will be the team to watch — both as a Giannis suitor, and if that falls through, as a thief of other team's free agents. Peyton Watson and Walker Kessler are the dream outcome for the defensively troubled Lakers, and adding those guys (while maybe even bringing LeBron James back on a one-year retirement tour deal) seems like a dream fallback outcome for the Lakers.
But is that scenario just that — a dream? Watson is a restricted free agent, and even with the Nuggets' financial crunch (they owe Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun $186 million next year), my guess is they will do everything possible to keep Watson on a long-term deal, and the restricted tag (despite the chaos of last year's RFA class) will make it easier to do so.
Utah, meanwhile, is set to pay the frontcourt duo of Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. $95 million next year (and $99 million the year after) so it's not crazy to suggest that Walker Kessler may not be in their plans... But apparently, the Jazz do still intend to offer Kessler a huge deal.
If the Lakers miss out on both Watson and Kessler, it would also be a longshot that LeBron would have any interest running it back in LA, even for one more year. No Giannis, no Watson, no Walker, no Bron... Big problem!
Lakers' offseason is not as clear cut as fans want to believe
This is the worst-case scenario, of course, but it doesn't take any mental gymnastics to envision a future where that's the case. Giannis was probably always a longshot, LeBron seems intent on leaving, Watson will need to be wrested out of the grip of the Nuggets, and Walker Kessler would still be an awesome pick up, but just Walker Kessler doesn't move the needle for next year's Lakers.
Is Rob Pelinka's legacy on the line this summer? Probably not. He's gotten star after star in the past six years, and getting Luka Doncic for free makes him (mostly) immune from criticism for at least a few years. But it does feel like a crucial offseason nonetheless, and Pelinka has to be proactive in his approach to team-building; waiting a week could be detrimental, as we might blink and all the Lakers targets sign elsewhere, leaving them with Andrew Wiggins and Robert Williams III. Not ideal!