It’s full-on rebuild time in Tinseltown, but that doesn’t mean Kobe Bryant couldn’t use a reinforcement or two—even if they wouldn't necessarily be long-term solutions.
One player that’s squarely on L.A.’s radar is Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who will join the ranks of unrestricted free agents on July 1.
In his annual end-of-season power rankings, NBA.com's David Aldridge had this to say about the No. 10-slotted Raptors: “Raps have a decent shot at keeping Kyle Lowry, but there will be suitors -- and the Lakers are at the top of the list.”
As things stand today, L.A. has just five players under contract: Bryant, Steve Nash, Robert Sacre, Nick Young—Inside Socal's Mark Medina suggests he's expected to decline his player option—and Kendall Marshall, whom the Lakers will likely bring back.
Lowry would most certainly be the presumptive starting point guard over Nash, who missed much of last season with chronic back pain and is likely on his last NBA legs.
The question is whether Lowry is willing to bypass what could be an equally lucrative payout—and an unquestionably better short-term scenario—with the Raptors.
Toronto currently has $41.3 million in committed salaries, meaning it could conceivably offer Lowry something slightly above what the Denver Nuggets gave Ty Lawson (four years, $48 million) back in 2012.
The reason? At 28 years old, Lowry has yet to collect the kind of big-time payday of some of his PG peers have.
The question is whether Toronto—which has the option to match whatever offer Greivis Vasquez fetches in restricted free agency—believes t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
