Most NBA insiders believe that the Los Angeles Lakers have the best chance of landing LeBron James in free agency this offseason. The four-time MVP is expected to opt out of his player option with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2018-19 season.
Though the Lakers seem to be the most likely team to snatch James away from Cleveland, Magic Johnson, the Hall of Famer and Lakers president of basketball operations, can’t be too sure about that possibility. The best way to ensure that they are in the running is for the Lakers to make a deal or two that will entice the Cavaliers superstar away from his hometown.
One of those deals could happen in the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft.
According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith in a radio broadcast, Chris Paul has been informing anyone within earshot that James has made up his mind on where wants to go this summer.
“Chris Paul is telling folks LeBron ain’t trying to come to Houston, he wants to be in L.A.,” Smith said. “These are things I am getting through the grapevine. Chris Paul is saying LeBron wants to be in L.A.”
It’s a report that has Lakers fans brimming with excitement this offseason.
Kawhi Leonard Wants to Play for the Lakers
Perhaps the key piece for James to seriously consider Los Angeles as his new home would be Kawhi Leonard. The San Antonio Spurs superstar forward wants to come back to his hometown and play for the Lakers. After the drama-filled final two months of the 2017-18 season in which the Spurs doubted Leonard’s health and ability to play the team’s remaining games, the former MVP candidate wants out of San Antonio.
If his recent talk with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn’t mend the fences between the two parties, Leonard is likely headed for a different team next season. Having set his mind on playing for the Lakers, Johnson and his team are more than likely scrambling to put together a trade package that will land them their most important free agent since Shaquille O’Neal in 1996. That is, until they get James, of course.
Knowing the Spurs front office, they will not be pressured into any haphazard deals but the reason why Popovich was in such a hurry to meet with Leonard this week may have something to do with the upcoming draft. If things didn’t go well, then the Spurs could trade Leonard knowing full well that they have a window of opportunity to grab an excellent player while exchanging picks with another team.
Not Willing to Help a Super Team
The Spurs are smart enough not to fall for the same trap that the Cavaliers fell into when they traded away Kyrie Irving last summer to the Boston Celtics for players that they would ultimately let go of anyway. Now, all the Cavs have left of real value is the eighth pick of the draft which may or may not become a star in the league.
Many believe that the Spurs won’t play a part in building another super team. But what if Popovich and the front office receive an offer they can’t refuse? What if they acquire one of the top 10 players in the league in exchange? The Spurs may be willing trade partners if and only if they can land one of today’s best players and one who can be a force in the league for years to come.
The Lakers don’t have that kind of player on their roster right now, unfortunately, but there is a way for them to make a deal for Leonard. They need a third team to facilitate the trade and that team would be the Minnesota Timberwolves.
If reports of Karl-Anthony Towns not being happy with the franchise is true, then the Lakers need to reach out to them for the possibility of getting a deal done at the draft.
Trade Scenario
The key pieces in the proposed three-way trade between the Spurs, Lakers and Timberwolves would be Leonard, Towns, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. In order to figure out a realistic trade package, I used ESPN’s Trade Machine to create a scenario in which all three teams can be satisfied with a trade between them:
Lakers receive: Kawhi Leonard
Timberwolves receive: Spurs #18 first-round pick, Lakers #25 first-round pick, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Ivica Zubac, Patty Mills
Spurs receive: Karl Anthony-Towns, Jeff Teague
It’s a realistic trade and it works, but it’s crazy enough that this will be one of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent years.
The Aftermath for the Lakers
With this trade, Johnson will have landed the superstar player that the Lakers have been hoping for since Kobe Bryant retired a few years ago. It’s easy to see Leonard as one of the key pieces that would make James want to play for L.A. The Cavaliers All-Star respects Leonard, especially as a defender.
James believes that Leonard has played the best defense on him out of all the players he has faced. As a teammate, he doesn’t have to worry about the Klaw getting in his face anymore. Except maybe in practices.
This also marks the end of the Lonzo Ball saga in L.A. The lovefest between the Lakers and the Ball family will have to end prematurely as James is not likely going to be pleased with the antics that Lavar Ball brings. As good as Lonzo could be as a playmaker extraordinaire, he’s not a shooter and James relies on his guards to be good shooters.
Gone, too, will be Brandon Ingram, the Lakers number two pick from the 2016 draft. Inasmuch as Ingram has improved since his rookie season, he is inconsistent and prone to disappearing acts during games. Promising point guard Josh Hart will have to be packaged along with them as well. Ivica Zubac is just there to make the salaries work.
What’s even better for the Lakers is that they get to keep Kyle Kuzma despite this trade. Kuzma was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team and looks to have a bright future ahead. He will learn the tricks of the trade from Leonard while growing without the spotlight focused solely on him.
The Utah alumnus is a blossoming a star and one who could terrorize this league for years to come. If James comes over, Kuzma will have another mentor who can help him take his game to another level.
The Aftermath for the Spurs
Popovich will be thrilled to get Towns and Jeff Teague on his team. LaMarcus Aldridge will now have a frontcourt partner who can help him clean up the glass as they form a semi-Twin Towers combo. It’s a light version of the David Robinson-Tim Duncan tandem from the late 90’s to early 2000’s, but still potent enough to create havoc for many teams.
Towns could be the face of the franchise for years to come as the heir apparent to Robinson and Duncan. He will blossom under Popovich’s tutelage and could become an MVP candidate under the watchful eye of one of the best coaches ever.
I imagine Teague’s career getting a revival in San Antonio. The 6-foot-2 point guard will be taking the reins of the offense from Tony Parker as the team’s starting playmaker. At 30 years of age, he is no longer young but he has a better feel for the game than most guards. DeJounte Murray will learn a lot from Teague as much as he has been learning from Parker.
The Aftermath for the Timberwolves
The Timberwolves will be able to get rid of Teague’s $19 million salary while getting some young pieces that they can work with. The most important players for them in this trade are Ball and Ingram.
Ball has the makings of a less-seasoned Jason Kidd. People may not remember this but there was a time when Kidd was not a good shooter. The only weapons that he had were his speed and court vision when he entered the league in 1994. In fact, there was a time when the media used to call him “Ason Kidd” because he had no “J” as in jumper in his game.
Ball could be the same. If he works on his shooting, he could presumably be the next great point guard in the league. Then we can truly compare Ball to Kidd without a few chuckles.
Ingram has the tools to be an All-Star and with proper nurturing from Timberwolves stars Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins, he could have a breakout year next season. These three players could play together in a small ball lineup with Ball as the primary playmaker. All four are good defenders and could cause problems for teams like the Golden State Warriors and their death lineup aka the Hamptons 5.
They also get Josh Hart who is an excellent point guard. He will be Ball’s backup along with veteran Patty Mills. Ivica Zubac may have to be waived eventually along with a few other redundant roster spots in the Timberwolves lineup to make room for the newbies.
They also receive the Spurs and the Lakers first-round draft picks this year, making them younger but with a chance to get some key pieces for their future.
Just the Beginning for the Lakers
Acquiring Leonard is just the first step in getting the Lakers back to championship contention. The next would be to convince Paul George to join the burgeoning super team to lure the King to take his talents to the City of Angels.
But that’s another story.
If the Lakers can get this trade done, then they will have stepped up their game and made it harder for any other team to acquire James’ services this summer. Most teams would be hard-pressed to come up with a better scenario that will prepare them for James’ upcoming free agency.
Even if James spurns the Lakers, they will have equipped themselves for other big free agents on the market this offseason such as DeMarcus Cousins. It’s a win-win situation for the Lakers and Johnson would do well to consider making this happen.
And if there’s anyone who knows how to make Showtime happen in L.A., it’s Magic.
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