Despite the fact that LeBron James has recently been linked to a sensational summer move to the Dallas Mavericks, the fact of the matter is that the Los Angeles Lakers are still currently operating under the presumption that the four-time NBA champ will be back in LA next season. As such, the front office has been keeping busy as they try and find solutions to the roster issues they are currently facing.

Arguably the biggest need for the Lakers right now comes in the form of a truly reliable point guard. D'Angelo Russell did show some flashes of brilliance since his mid-season arrival, but for the most part, the one-time All-Star was generally inconsistent. This is why it comes as no surprise that there have now been rumors of the Lakers potentially opting not to renew Russell's contract as he enters NBA free agency this summer. Stars like Kyrie Irving and Fred VanVleet, both of which are also expected to become free agents this offseason, have popped up as potential replacements for D-Lo in LA.

According to NBA guru Shams Charania, however, the Lakers might not be able to pull off signing a Kyrie or an FVV. In this light, Shams believes that at this point, the Lakers' most feasible option might be to re-sign Russell to an extension:

“Overall, when you look at the landscape, when you talk to team executives, they feel like the Lakers could be in the market for a point guard,” Shams said. “When you think about the available point guards — Fred VanVleet, Kyrie Irving. Their best bet might be to bring back D'Angelo Russell.”

This makes sense. The Lakers do not have much cap room to operate this summer, especially given the Austin Reaves contract situation. They might be able to bring in one or two new players this offseason, but money-wise, signing a guy like Kyrie Irving or Fred VanVleet to a massive deal just doesn't feel like a very realistic scenario for LeBron James and Co. Retaining the services of D'Angelo Russell, however, appears to be a fairly feasible reality for them.