It's no secret that the entire die-hard fan base of the Los Angeles Lakers is itching to have its new superstar ever since Kobe Bryant retired. It's evident with how hard some are hailing rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma to be the next guys up – not that those two are not talented enough to be one someday.
In any case, someone should tell Lakers Nation that they may have to wait an extra year for their new hero, because according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers' front office is looking to address the “need” further down the line:
“The Lakers aren't abandoning a summer pursuit of stars, but rather recalibrating their focus on a 2019 class that could include San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard, Golden State's Klay Thompson and Minnesota's Jimmy Butler, league sources told ESPN.”
The plan does make sense when you consider that their chances on each of the top three targets of the 2018 free agency class – LeBron James, Paul George, and DeMarcus Cousins – are souring, which is also noted in the article. Cousins is out for the year and possibly more, George is reportedly growing more comfortable with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and LeBron James may want another star to pair with.
More than that, though, – assuming that those are the primary reasons – the risks the Lakers would have to take in trying to hit it big this summer could be too big to take on.
“Pushing back a year on big-game hunting in free agency could serve two purposes: It could alleviate the urgency to unload contracts at Thursday's trade deadline and around the June NBA draft… and it could allow the Lakers' talented young core — including Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart — to further develop and become more attractive for veteran stars to join.”
The Lakers are 21-31 on the year, but have won 10 of their last 14, with the young guys doing most of the work. The team's top two source of points, rebounds, assists, steals, and threes per game include either Ingram, Ball, or Kuzma.
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