LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during a game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 29, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to be frontrunners for every big free agent. Turns out, there is no love for the Lake Show.
Who is in love with the Los Angeles Lakers right now? Apparently, no one.
The Lakers were supposed to be big players in this year’s NBA free agency bonanza, front runners at that for most of the big names. However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has heard rumors that suggest that not one top-tier free agent has the Lakers on top of their preferred destinations list.
This has to make Lakers fans highly disappointed.
When the Lakers snagged LeBron James last offseason, the goal was to pair him with another All-Star and bring the legendary team back into contention for titles. That plan started to fray a soon as the season ended, when Magic Johnson abruptly quit, then threw a dump truck-worth of dirt on the organization, especially Rob Pelinka.
The organizational turmoil may have scared off potential free agents, and the Lakers really have no one to blame but themselves for this.
The Lakers were going to have stiff competition this offseason for the likes of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving. The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are going all in for Durant and Irving, and the Lakers same building rivals, the Clippers, have made it known that Leonard is the primary target this offseason.
The fact that none of these free agents are chomping at the bit to play for the Lakers, alongside LeBron, tells a sad story of how far this legacy franchise has fallen. This was not the plan, and you have to feel bad for LeBron as he didn’t think things were this bad with the Lakers organization.
It is, however, and it may be up to King James himself to try to rescue this floundering franchise.