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The Los Angeles Lakers were finally able to have some success in NBA free agency by landing the biggest name on the open market, LeBron James. Now Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka are tasked with surrounding their new superstar with talent and have reportedly targeted Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs in trade talks.
Unfortunately for Los Angeles, the Spurs brass is looking for a significant return in any potential trade to send their star player elsewhere. Even though Leonard has reportedly made it clear he intends to sign with the Lakers once he hits the free-agent market next summer, it hasn't made trade talks any easier, especially with what they're asking in return from the storied franchise.
According to Larry Coon of ESPN and Basketball Insiders, the asking price from San Antonio is extremely high when it comes to what they want from Los Angeles. Coon recently made an appearance on Spectrum SportsNet to talk about the team's salary cap situation and revealed what sources are telling him about rumored trade talks.
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NBA salary cap expert @LarryCoon was on tonight's show to break down the #Lakers' cap space flexibility following today's moves. pic.twitter.com/GTB1fYdQrk
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) July 3, 2018
“From what I hear they’re asking a lot,” Coon said of the Spurs' trade demands. “My sources are saying, get ready for this one, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, two firsts and two pick swaps.”
That is an incredibly steep price for the Lakers brass to pay for a player that has indicated he wants to come to Los Angeles during the next free agency period. However, Paul George was in the exact same situation last year with his sights set on wearing purple and gold, and that didn't work out in the team's favor this summer.
The Lakers are in a tough position if they fully intend on bringing Leonard in at some point. Letting him get traded elsewhere runs the risk of Leonard slipping through their fingers in the same way George did, but trading virtually all of their young assets is a gamble that the team seems unwilling to make at this point.
