The Los Angeles Lakers have made it no secret that they will try to sign two max-level superstars this summer. LeBron James is on top of their list of targets, but they might need to make more bold moves to convince the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar to go to Hollywood in the offseason.
Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball was initially viewed as one of the players who might entice James to join the team. However, Ball might eventually become the reason why the four-time Most Valuable Player will snub the Lakers this summer. According to Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports , the Lakers might need to trade Ball to get a shot at James.
LaVar Ball, Lonzo’s father, is becoming a huge distraction for the Lakers with his public comments. He recently told Lithuanian reporter Donatas Urbonas that his son will leave Los Angeles if the Lakers will not take LaMelo and LiAngelo, who are currently playing professional basketball in Lithuania, when they make the big jump to the NBA.
According to Cowherd, James “has no interest in joining the circus” in Los Angeles. He added that team president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka are likely talking about the possibility of shipping Lonzo Ball to another team, knowing that James will not let himself become a part of the current drama in Los Angeles.
Johnson has been very high on Lonzo since he selected the former UCLA standout as the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. While he has yet to make a huge impact for the Lakers, most analysts are still convinced Lonzo has a bright future ahead of him. However, Cowherd believes Johnson will eventually trade Lonzo if needed because he is “all-in” on getting James.
While he did not directly mention any name, Johnson still believes they are in a good position to sign two superstars. He told ESPN that he pulled the trigger on the deal that they made before the trade deadline because he is confident of their chances of landing two max-level players either this summer or next year.
The Lakers might have as much as $70 million in cap space this summer after trading away Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. In return, they acquired Channing Frye and Isaiah Thomas, who are set to become free agents after this season. They will likely move on from Julius Randle and use the stretch provision for Luol Deng’s contract.
