There's an available avenue to do so. Last year's top-five pick, Julius Randle, is a start. The upcoming draft will add another rookie of the same stature, and once the floodgates of free agency open, anything is possible.
It's a new approach to the rebuild for the prestigious franchise, but it's a necessary one as more and more teams begin to show success via patience and the draft.
Below, let's take a look at where the Lakers stand with some of their biggest plans, as told by the rumor mill.
Lakers Fading in Aldridge Race?
The Lakers love Portland Trail Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge.
Who can blame them? He's by far one of the best players in the league and just posted averages of 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks, the points total a career high despite playing on a deep roster.
As Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times pointed out in early June, there was a thought that the team wanted to pair Aldridge with a top rookie:
It's a wow-worthy thought, a frontcourt sure to have few issues contending for the postseason, where anything is possible upon arrival.
There's just one problem: If Aldridge is going to make a move, it sounds like he would prefer the San Antonio Spurs or Dallas Mavericks.
Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher recently reported what he was hearing on the topic and classified the Lakers as a "distant third" in the video:
It's a disappointing dose of reality, but a necessary one. The Lakers must understand that some big names won't want to join a rebuild and waste away career years in the process.
This goes double for a guy like Aldridge, who will lose a ton of cash ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
