The Los Angeles Lakers have not exactly hit home runs in finding other star players to put alongside LeBron James.
Paul George spurned them for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The San Antonio Spurs refused to trade them Kawhi Leonard. It doesn't look like the New Orleans Pelicans are going to send Anthony Davis their way, either.
So, with the market for stars dwindling, where can the Lakers turn?
What Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka may need to accept is that they simply are not going to land another top-10-caliber player. Of course, things could change, but right now, it doesn't look that way.
It's becoming more and more obvious that stars simply don't want to play second fiddle to James at this stage, and the Lakers don't have the assets—nor the league-wide likability—to make a trade for one.
The good news is that there are still plenty of really good players out there who can help the team, and while they may not be George or Leonard or Davis, they are still All-Star-caliber guys in their own right.
Two names that immediately come to mind are Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker and Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.
Both players seem to have the potential to change addresses at some point soon, with Walker hitting free agency this summer and Beal currently playing for a team that may decide to sell some more pieces this offseason.
Which of the two guards is more likely to become a Laker first?
While Los Angeles can certainly land both guys this summer, we have to consider the fact that Walker can outright sign with the Lakers… so the answer is Kemba.
Sure, the Wizards will probably take offers for Beal in the coming months, but he is under contract through 2021 and hasn't given any indication that he wants out, so Washington is not under any pressure to move him now.
That leaves Walker, who will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career this July.
Again, Walker isn't a superstar player, but he is still really, really good and would provide James a security blanket on offense, similar to Kyrie Irving during LeBron's second go-around with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While Irving is better than Walker, the gap is not huge: Walker can fill it up with the best of them on offense, and while no one is going to confuse him for Gary Payton, he can at least play adequate defense.
Basically, the Lakers need anything they can get right now; this first season has been an unmitigated disaster. Not only was Los Angeles unable to land another star, but the Lakers probably aren't going to make the playoffs.
Obviously, they need to do something this summer, and if they can't trade for Davis or sign someone like Leonard, they are going to need to resort to Plan B, which is looking for B-level stars such as Walker and Beal.
The best part about Walker is that he won't cost the Lakers anything other than money. They won't have to worry about gutting their roster for him a la Davis, which means Los Angeles could have a lineup featuring James, Walker, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram next season. Not too bad.
At the very least, Kemba Walker would elevate the Lakers into a sure-fire playoff team, and in a Western Conference that might be a bit weaker next season, he could even give them a chance to make some noise in the postseason.
Now, we do need to keep in mind that Walker has not provided any clues that he wants out of Charlotte, and it seems Michael Jordan and the rest of the Hornets' front office really want to keep him.
So, we don't even know for sure if Walker is going to hit the open market.
But don't think for a second that Walker is not on the Lakers' list.
The fit between James and Walker may seem awkward, just like the tandem of LeBron and Kyrie was, but keep in mind that Walker has a different personality than Irving and seems more amenable to playing a specific role.
Walker has been “the guy” in Charlotte for years running, and it hasn't gotten him anywhere. The Hornets just don't have the ability to go out and land big-name stars.
But all Walker would need to do is sign on the dotted line to play for the Lakers, and he would immediately join the biggest star of them all: LeBron.
Honestly, Walker can only add to his legacy by winning alongside James, and the Lakers can only improve by adding Walker. A player in Charlotte would love to go deep into the playoffs on a regular basis. An icon in Los Angeles would love to have a teammate who could make his life much easier.
Seems like a match made in heaven… and Hollywood.
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