The Los Angeles Lakers are in the beginning stages of a rebuild this season. The team has stockpiled a number of intriguing young talents over the past couple of years and at times have looked like a team on the rise this season.
The Lakers have wins over a number of the NBA’s top teams including the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Oklahoma City Thunder. That being said, they are still far away from being a contender. Unless, of course, you ask Magic Johnson.
The new advisor to Lakers President Jeanie Buss spoke to Spectrum SportsNet and said that he believes the Lakers are only one superstar away from contention via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Magic: "We’re a superstar away…One guy changes our landscape…If I felt like we were far away…I wouldn’t be here." (on @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/4ETP8QXBdi
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) February 3, 2017
Johnson added that he wants to play a role during free agency this summer, via Winters:
Regarding Lakers free agency, Magic Johnson also told @SpectrumSN that he wants to “be in the room” & “play a role” during pitches.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) February 3, 2017
While Johnson isn’t necessarily wrong that one superstar can change the landscape of things for any NBA franchise, the act of actually getting one is a difficult proposition for the Lakers. The new CBA has made it very difficult for teams to obtain superstars in free agency.
There are certainly some big names set to hit the market this summer, but the Lakers hardly have any real chance at any of them. Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Blake Griffin are all expected to remain with their teams, as are All-Stars Kyle Lowry and Gordon Hayward.
As it currently stands, the Lakers’ best chance of finding a superstar is to develop someone already on the roster. Magic has already been in contact with D’Angelo Russell while guys like Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, and Ivica Zubac all have tons of potential as well. Whether they can reach superstar level, however, remains to be seen.
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