The Los Angeles Lakers are in the middle of a massive rebuild around young, talented players like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma. They will have more salary cap space available than any team and have their sights set on signing the likes of LeBron James and Paul George.
However, at this stage it’s unclear whether or not the Lakers will actually be able to land any big names. They have chased stars for the past few seasons only to strike out each time, so why might George in particular decide to buck that trend and join the Lakers?
On this episode of the LN Podcast, host Trevor Lane and guest Allen Sliwa of ESPN discuss the team’s offseason and what need to happen in order for president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka to reel in a big fish.
Additionally, they discuss the NBA Playoffs and notice something curious happening with the way Lakers fans are supporting the Boston Celtics in their Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Is a decades-old rivalry actually thawing or is there an ulterior motive at work?
Lane and Sliwa also take a look at Julius Randle, who will be a restricted free agent in July and it’s not quite clear whether or not the Lakers will bring him back. After being arguably the team’s best player, there are many Lakers fans who are hoping to see Randle return next season but there are a few hurdles to overcome.
Finally, the podcast turns to the Lakers’ own unrestricted free agents, focusing on Brook Lopez, Isaiah Thomas, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Who will be re-signed and who will sign on elsewhere?
All that and much more on this episode, just click the player above.
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