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Los Angeles Lakers fans can’t help but feel giddy this time of year.
The Finals don’t feature the Lakers, but it appears the series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors is winding down. Like any year when the Lakers don’t partake, the series nearing a close means the buzz around the team goes into overdrive.
It’s not hard to see why. Free agency should feature LeBron James and a supporting cast just begging the Lakers to improve upon what is already a strong base team. Solid positioning in the draft after years of quality drafting from the front office is encouraging as well.
Given the circumstances, the rumors flying around the Lakers seem mild. Mild is still interesting and could offer hints at what’s to come though, so let’s check the latest.
LiAngelo Ball
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It doesn’t sound like the Lakers care for the idea of bringing more members of the Ball family out West.
Recent events around LiAngelo Ball suggest this well enough. The Lakers had a recent workout that included the younger Ball, but according to USA Today‘s Sam Amick, this particular storyline isn’t going to go much further than that: “While the Los Angeles Lakers held a workout Tuesday that included the younger brother of starting point guard Lonzo Ball, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports team officials have no interest in drafting or signing the 19-year-old…”
Others said much of the same thing:
Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
A dribble of draft scuttle for those interested: The Lakers had LiAngelo Ball in for a well-chronicled workout this week but there is pessimism in the extreme coming out of L.A. today that the Lakers have any intentions for him … G-League or otherwise
LiAngelo suited up for BC Prienu Vytautas in the Lithuanian Basketball League, but the entertaining experience aimed at getting him playing time at a pro level hasn’t translated to major NBA hype.
It’s not a terrible development for the Lakers by any stretch. While taking a gamble on a high-upside prospect would make sense, it doesn’t seem to apply here, and the bonus is avoiding the expansion of a media frenzy surrounding the Big Baller Brand.
For Lakers fans, it sounds like Lonzo has to be enough—and it’s a good thing.
Mitchell Robinson a Draft Target?
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Mitchell Robinson is one of the more interesting stories in the 2018 NBA draft, so it makes sense the Lakers would somehow be connected to him.
Said connection seems to come from a legitimate interest in the 7-footer at No. 25:
Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
The Lakers are seriously considering taking Mitchell Robinson at 25, per League source. https://t.co/8Cfl24JheN
It’s something of a bold statement, though it isn’t hard to see why the Lakers would have an eye on a guy like Robinson despite his commitment to Western Kentucky before not playing.
Robinson is, in a word, rare. He’s huge and can shoot quality numbers from beyond the arc, which is already rare for a guy his size. But some of the other measurables and what he’s doing on the court before even turning pro is impressive:
Mike Schmitz @Mike_Schmitz
Some impressive moments from Mitchell Robinson here in LA. Effortless athlete with elite agility at 7-1 with a 7-4 wingspan and a 9-3 standing reach. Potential as a vertical spacer. https://t.co/OlPpz6yOFf
It’s easy to point to Kyle Kuzma as a guy the Lakers got right in the latter portion of the first round recently.
The difference here is the Lakers can afford to wait on Robinson to grow into the player he’s supposed to become. The front office has continued to take a measured pace so far, and applying the same to a prospect with ridiculous upside like Robinson could be the smartest possible move.
Paul George
Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press
Above all else, one can’t get far without hearing the Lakers linked to Paul George this offseason.
Really, this rule applied well before George joined the Oklahoma City Thunder, too. Hollywood couldn’t write it better considering he’s a hometown kid who wants to pursue a title while being the face of a major franchise.
The Lakers check all the boxes, and the latest in the saga has Rockets Wire’s Kelly Iko reporting the Lakers are “still favorites” to land George despite his liking what he sees from the Houston Rockets.
As an aside, the competition might not be as fierce for the Lakers as it seems. A James Harden-Chris Paul tandem is an alluring pitch, but only if we discount the fact the George-Russell Westbrook-Carmelo Anthony trio didn’t come close to producing desired results.
Speaking of discounts, the Rockets would have to pull off some serious cap magic to help George’s contract come aboard. Maneuvers like a sign-and-trade are always possible, but his life would be quite a bit less complicated if he just joined the Lakers.
But Lakers fans knew this wasn’t going to be easy, no matter how sweet the storylines seems. The franchise has been in the conversation for major free agents every offseason, yet has been used more as leverage than anything else. No sour grapes—the time spent as leverage has allowed the front office to build a quality young roster. It’s an appealing one, too, so there is some believability to the notion it’s one a star like George might want to come on over and lead.
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