The Los Angeles Lakers have been rather quiet after acquiring LeBron James, merely signing players to one-year deals after locking down The King to a four-year, $154 million contract.
The organization already missed out on Paul George, who was thought of as a surefire goner for La La Land last offseason after he sought a trade from the Indiana Pacers. George wind up getting traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and re-signing with them this summer on a four-year, $137 million deal, passing on a stint with his hometown Lakers.
L.A. appears to be taking the same passive approach, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski confirms what has been obvious for a couple of weeks now.
“To this point in trade discussions, the Lakers have not shown a sense of urgency to make a Kawhi Leonard trade,” said Wojnarowski in the latest Woj Pod.
The Lakers are banking on being able to acquire Leonard in free agency, but that strategy has not panned out well in the recent past, as George slipped from their grasped, as he eloquently said “the Lakers didn't grab me” — a phrase that struck a chord with Lakers fans, given the team's arrogance and lack of urgency at acquiring a perennial young talent.
Leonard expressed desire to play in L.A., and now the Clippers have thrown themselves in the sweepstakes, clearing enough cap space to sign him and another star, yet expected to be really aggressive under former Lakers general manager Jerry West at the helm of the operation.
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