Offseason Scenarios: The Lake Show 2.o
Here comes the speculation and excitement of NBA fans from all around the globe. The offseason is approaching and Free Agents such as Jimmy Bulter, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard might be on the move and trade talks are surrounding Anthony Davis as well as Bradley Beal and players of such caliber. Teams such as the Nets and Knicks have two max slots and the Lakers have a max slot and the assets for a big trade. In the first installment of Offseason Best Case Scenarios we will visit the Los Angeles Lakers and what would be the best case scenarios for their offseason.
2. Jimmy Butler and Bradley Beal Come to the City of Lights
The Lakers have a max slot and Jimmy Butler has expressed his interest in playing with the Lakers and it is rumored that if the Lakers offer him a max contract then he will sign with them. Jimmy Butler would likely run the small forward position with LeBron James shifting to power forward.
The other part of this puzzle is Bradley Beal. The package for Beal is likely a young star and the fourth pick in this years draft. The Wizards are rumored to have supreme interest in Brandon Ingram. The package would likely be Brandon Ingram and the Fourth overall pick to Washington and Bradley Beal to LAL.
In this scenario the Lakers Starting 5 would look like this:
PG: Lonzo Ball
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: Jimmy Butler
PF: LeBron James
C: Moritz Wagner
6M: Kyle Kuzma
Why this makes sense: Adding Jimmy Butler brings a nice defensive presence to anchor the starting 5 on defense as well as bring his elite offensive prowess as a nice second or third option to LeBron James as well as being clutch presence and experienced veteran with his best years ahead of him. Bradley Beal brings something the Lakers severely lacked last season and this is the ability to shoot the three pointer at high volume and high percentage. He is a natural scorer who can give you buckets and can take over on the offensive end when needed.
1. Kawhi Comes Home and AD comes to the Big City
Kawhi Leonard is amidst a battle against the Warriors at the moment that this article is being written, but Kawhi Leonard’s status with the Toronto Raptors in free agency is foggy. Kawhi is rumored to want to play in a big market preferably Los Angeles even though it is also rumored that he prefers the Clippers. In this scenario Kawhi signs with the Lakers to team up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. AD to LA has been in the news for months as the Lakers have thrown every package possible at the Lakers to acquire Anthony Davis now the Pelicans are open to the Lakers talks and at least two of the young players would have to be shipped to New Orleans along with the fourth overall pick to get the deal done. The package would likely consist of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and the fourth overall pick for Anthony Davis and Elfrid Payton.
In this Scenario the Lakers Starting 5 would look like:
PG: Elfrid Payton
SG: Josh Hart
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
Why this makes sense: Defense is the name of the game and Kawhi is a defense master. Not only does Kawhi supply defense mastery he also supplies an all around game that complements LeBron very well as Kawhi would likely play second fiddle to LeBron. This would create a league top duo of LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard that could destroy the Western Conference. With Anthony Davis as a third option would leave the league in shambles as arguably three of the Leagues top five players would all play on the same team.
