Prior to the 2017 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers traded D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets. Along with acquiring Brook Lopez's expiring contract and the No. 27 pick (Kyle Kuzma), President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka wanted to clear cap space for next year's free agency.

While numerous All-Stars are set to hit free agency, all the attention is on LeBron James' future with the Cleveland Cavaliers. As the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics continue to have conversations regarding Isaiah Thomas' physical, numerous reports have linked James to the Lakers. However, Chris Broussard of FS1 believes the talk is overblown according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype:

“I think the talk about the Lakers is overblown,” Broussard said. “That doesn’t mean it’s definitely not going to happen… If he leaves, especially if he goes West to the Lakers, there’s a very good chance that he’s not getting back to the Finals [because of the Golden State Warriors].

In addition, Broussard believes there are too many questions that need to be answered:

“And with the Lakers, there are so many questions. Let’s see what Lonzo Ball is. Let’s see what Brandon Ingram is. Let’s see what Paul George is willing to do. I don’t see LeBron going there by himself, without another star, so what happens if Oklahoma City gets to the Western Conference Finals and loses in seven games? Does Paul George stay? Again, I think there are too many questions, at this point, for LeBron to know where he wants to go.”

Since the Lakers new front office came together, it is no secret they are trying to clear the necessary cap space to sign two max contract players in James and Paul George. With George being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it remains to be seen if the ultimate goal is still playing for his hometown team.

As for the Lakers, head coach Luke Walton and the team's young core will need to show they are a couple players away from contention during the course of the 2017-18 NBA season. With Lonzo Ball showcasing his skills at the Las Vegas Summer League and Brandon Ingram expected to take another jump in his development, there is great optimism in Los Angeles.