Are the Los Angeles Lakers Facing Another Free Agency Implosion

Much has been made of the Los Angeles Lakers and Magic Johnson’s 2 year plan for making a splash in free agency. But despite all of the glitz, history and prestige the Lakers organization holds. They have consistently laid bricks in free agency year after year. The last truly big name Free Agent the Lakers have signed was 22 years ago when they hijacked a young Shaquile O’neal from the Orlando Magic. Shaq was poised to enter his prime and was even then considered one of the best players in the game. The next major free agent after that was Ron Artest (Metta World Peace) back in 2009 which was still practically 10 years ago and Metta was more or less radio active because teams were not sure if he was the kind of locker room presence that was conducive to a winning organization.

Players like Gary Payton, Karl Malone and Steve Nash were so far past their primes that you couldn’t see them with the Hubble Telescope. In Nash’s case he was injured so often he was virtually un playable. Nash was 38, Payton was 35 and Malone was a rocking chair tipping 40 years old during his stent with the Lakers.

For whatever reason despite all of the Glam the Lakers are not the free agent destination that legend would make it out to be. Free agents talk about wanting to go there. But then they don’t actually ever go and even Dwight Howard who was essentially the 2nd player the Lakers stole from the Magic bolted for the hills as soon as his contract was up.

With this level of ineptitude its hard to fathom that anything will change this year as the Lakers really do have enough young talent to just kind of sit tight and let things run the course instead of hoping the basketball gods will bestow upon them a Big Name player to rescue them from their playoff drought. If anything they should be praying for an unlimited supply of duct tape to strap onto the mouth of Lavar Ball. As his constant jawing is a something of a put off to anyone even remotely considering signing with the Lakers and no team with a sane front office will accept Lonzo Ball in a trade because of the baggage of Papa Ball. Its a bonafide case of you made your bed now you have to sleep in it.

All the talk about Paul George and LeBron James is pipe dreams. Any attempt to get Kawhi Leonard is probably going to set the Lakers back 3-5 years because he really does not want any of that pressure that comes with being a teams best layer and since there will be no other big name players coming to town. The situation will become a hundred times worse because Lavar Ball will be chirping away further compounding any chemistry hiccups that could develop. Think before you leap.