The future remains uncertain for the Los Angeles Lakers with plenty of different options for the struggling franchise heading into the off-season. The team will be armed with the cap space to upgrade the roster in NBA free agency while also potentially having as many as three picks in the 2015 NBA draft.
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With the team seemingly determined to improve the roster this summer, many of the players on the current squad likely won’t be back next season. Wesley Johnson might be one of those players with the team’s moves in free agency and during the draft determining his fate, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
The Lakers remain intrigued with his potential, but are frustrated with his inconsistency. Johnson wants to stay with the Lakers, but his future will depend on how the Lakers fare in the NBA draft and free agency.
As of right now, the small forward position will be a need for the Lakers once the free agent market opens on July 1. There’s a chance the team will be able to land a promising young player in the draft with Duke’s Justise Winslow and Stanley Johnson of Arizona potentially being available on draft day, but it may be more likely the team signs a small forward in free agency.
Johnson, however, may struggle to convince the Lakers to re-sign for a third straight year. The veteran forward hasn’t shown much improvement during his time in Los Angeles and as a result will face an uncertain future this summer.
Along with Johnson’s fate yet to be determined, there’s plenty of other players on the current squad that may be playing elsewhere next season. Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Lin, Wayne Ellington and Ronnie Price will be among the notable free agents for the Lakers. Ellington, Johnson and Price have expressed an interest in returning next season, but it remains to be seen whether any of them will be retained.
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