This Los Angeles Lakers season is not going as they thought it would. LeBron James is about to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Both he and the team are looking for ways to fix these issues moving forward.

Originally, that was supposed to be Anthony Davis until that fell through at the trade deadline. The Lakers will surely still try to acquire Davis this summer, but looking to free agency, there will be plenty of other targets. If Los Angeles misses out on the top options, the front office will reportedly look at second-tier targets like DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast (via Matthew Moreno of Lakers Nation):

In the event they are relegated to pursuing second-tier free agents, ESPN’s Tim McMahon said on the “The Hoop Collective” podcast there are rumblings of DeMarcus Cousins being a possibility for the Lakers, in addition to DeAndre Jordan:

“That’s definitely a rumor out there. DeAndre Jordan, too.”

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The Lakers don't appear to be the favorite for any of the top free agents, so they may have to go for these lesser options. While Cousins or Jordan could help Los Angeles, signing either player while striking out on the top stars would be underwhelming.

Still, the Lakers need to add talent, and they are going to add what they think will help put the team into playoff contention. The youth of the team is apparent and frustrating for James, and it is clear Los Angeles needs a makeover to compete next season.