NBA Rumors: ‘Bleacher Report’ Predicts Lakers Will Sign LeBron James, Paul George, And DeMarcus Cousins


As the 2018 NBA free agency market rumor mill begins to heat up, there are quite a few rumors swirling around about the Los Angeles Lakers. Magic Johnson has put his franchise in the position to sign two and possibly three big names this offseason. Creating a championship contender is the priority and it all starts on July 1.

Los Angeles has been connected to quite a few big names this offseason already. LeBron James, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard are the three most talked about players that the Lakers will try to sign.

According to Bleacher Report’s latest free agency predictions, the Lakers will sign three big names. They have L.A. signing James, George, and big man DeMarcus Cousins. If they were able to pull those signings off, there is no question that they would be a tough match for the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference.

Everything will start with James for the Lakers. If he chooses to head elsewhere, Los Angeles will be stuck with some tough decisions to make. George is obviously a player that they want to bring in, but there have been rumors that the Oklahoma City Thunder are feeling more confident about signing him to a max deal.

James put together the best all-around season of his career in 2017-18, especially in the playoffs. He averaged 27.5 points per game in the regular season to go along with 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebound. In the postseason, however, he took those numbers to a new level with 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game.

George, on the other hand, was acquired by the Thunder in the blockbuster trade with the Indiana Pacers that sent Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis out of town last offseason. He put together a solid all-around season for Oklahoma City, but the team fell in the first round of the playoffs. Despite the disappointing end to the year, George averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.

Cousins would be the most intriguing free agency pickup for the Lakers, as they have needed help in the front-court for a few years now. He is coming off of a season that ended early due to a torn Achilles. While the injury is a concern, the 27-year-old big man averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game last season and would be a monster alongside James and George.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the upcoming offseason has in store for the Lakers. They have been patiently waiting to get back in the playoff hunt and this offseason might just get them there.

Expect to see plenty of rumors surrounding the Lakers over the next month as free agency draws closer and gets underway.

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