Much like the Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball, the Lakers have been caught in that tricky area with veteran-laden, expensive talent that was good or great at one point but age and injuries have hit them.
While the Lakers front office hasn't fully embraced the need to rebuild, there are signs that things have changed. They haven't traded young players like Julius Randle or this year's first-round pick D'Angelo Russell, which is a positive step.
As for what general manger Mitch Kupchak and the staff have planned for the Lakers in 2015-16, it seems like there is a clear plan in place.
The Roy Hibbert Situation
Having missed out on all of the big-name free agents thus far, the Lakers are taking to the trade market to address their center situation.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers are working to finalize terms on a deal with the Indiana Pacers to acquire Roy Hibbert:
The only snag, per Wojnarowski, is that Hibbert has a $2.3 million trade kicker that will have an impact on the Lakers' salary cap even though the Pacers are going to pay it and the deal can't be completed until the transaction moratorium ends on July 9.
Hibbert is hardly the splash Los Angeles fans were hoping to make, though he's not a bad alternative given what could have happened. The Lakers could have tried throwing a lot of money and years at second- and third-tier free agents, like Kosta Kofous or Robin Lopez.
Instead, the Lakers can get a one-year stopgap center in Hibbert who is going to play solid defense and has stayed healthy throughout his career.&n...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
