The Los Angeles Lakers were every player's dream landing scenario during the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, but after hitting a nasty streak in mismanagement, they've become the polar opposite of what the franchise had represented in the last three decades — a destination players looked to avoid.

In a read-worthy piece by Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated, an All-Star bound for free agency spoke of the franchise's situation.

“They’ll get somebody soon,” said the All-Star. “They play hard. They play together. They know their role. And, most important, they’re in Los Angeles.”

The Lakers didn't have much selling to do during their glory day, with a display room full of trophies and a rafter full of jerseys that date back decades into the franchise's storied success.

Yet rejections from Dwight Howard, who left town after one season, along with passes from Carmelo Anthony, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Monroe helped the franchise with structural fortitude.

For the longest time, the Lakers only needed to point to a target and make a substantial offer to acquire him. Now they were forced to develop a scouting force to bring in talent through the draft, much like smaller markets have been doing since Game 1, building through a pile of picks.

This recent draft might have been the biggest jackpot of all — turning in Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart — three working plug-and-play pieces that have started to show promise already in their first season in the league.

This time around the sunshine and glamour of the City of Angeles will once again become an enticing place for the biggest stars to continue their careers.