Los Angeles Lakers: Who Will and Won’t Be Back Next Year

An earlier-than-expected exit from the 2011 NBA Playoffs gives the Los Angeles Lakers an extra month to figure out what went wrong, which means this summer should be a rather busy one for general manager Mitch Kupchak, even with more time amidst an impending league-wide lockout.

And with exit interviews already through at the Lakers' practice facility in El Segundo, the season of speculation can officially begin.

It certainly hasn't taken much time at all for rumors to start swirling around the Staples Center, with whispers about town suggesting the Lakers will target a slew of stars in the offseason—Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Deron Williams, to name a few—all of whom will be free agents in 2012.

Of course, bringing in another franchise player or two would require the Lake Show to let go of several of their own stalwarts as part of the reloading process.

With that in mind, let's have a look at which regulars from this season will or won't be wearing colors other than Purple and Gold once the 2011-12 season gets underway. 

Begin Slideshow

...

About the Author