The Lakers are bringing in a new head coach in former Golden State Warriors assistant Luke Walton, and they will be looking to surge back to relevance with a young core and an intriguing free-agent class.
Here are some of the rumors surrounding the team.
Could the Lakers Land LeBron James? LeBron James delivered on his promise to bring an NBA championship to Cleveland, and there are already rumors that he could bolt this offseason.
James can opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer, and his past history suggests he is not afraid to change cities.
Should he decide to do this again, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith believes the Lakers would be a legitimate contender for James' services:
The spotlight of playing in Los Angeles would appeal to James, per Smith (via NESN.com's Ricky Doyle).
"There are some changes that LeBron would want made if he’s going to go to L.A. and wear the purple and gold," Smith said Monday on ESPN's First Take. "He obviously has aspirations beyond basketball. Being in the Los Angeles market wearing the purple and gold could very well facilitate all of that."
He also added on ESPN's Mike & Mike that a return to the Miami Heat would be another possibility.
While it seems unlikely that James would leave a team that just won an NBA title, in his hometown nonetheless, it is an interesting possibility to consider.
The Lakers have nice pieces in Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell, and Walton has shown he can win with great players after the job he did filling in for Steve Kerr at Golden State.
Still, those pieces are not better than Kyrie Irving and—at the moment—Kevin Love, among the other...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
