Lakers Not Content With Merely Signing Kawhi Leonard - Forbes

The Lakers would win free agency with a shocking Kawhi Leonard signing. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Getting Kawhi Leonard would be just the start.

The latest rumor is a truly hopeful one for Lakers fans who saw a nauseating number of transactions on Sunday.

One superstar after another was accounted for. It seemed as if the day would continue with an unrelenting roll call of role players heading to teams not named the Los Angeles Lakers.

Thankfully, Kawhi Leonard is still weighing his options. And, for the Lakers, that fact is everything.

L.A. entered June 30 much like other NBA teams, with varying levels of strategy planned for what would be a chaotic start to free agency.

And on Sunday, the Lakers’ Plan B through Z were destroyed with every Twitter refresh.

If you were hoping for the Lakers to grab some varying levels of talent to round out the roster, you had to dislike Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks), JJ Redick (New Orleans) and Patrick Beverley (L.A. Clippers) finding homes for next season.

As Marc Stein reports, Jimmy Butler may yet find his way to Miami as the Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers are “determined” to find a way to get a trade done.

Meanwhile, what had become an increasingly enticing solution for the Lakers’ backcourt was ripped off the board.

The Golden State Warriors managed a  shocking transaction amid an already turbulent day by acquiring D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade deal with the Brooklyn Nets.

The 23-year-old would have been a solid addition to a Lakers roster already boasting LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma.

Had the Lakers missed out on the greatest free-agent prize available, Kawhi, he would have been a phenomenal signing as backup-plans go.

So Monday really should be a day of worry and trepidation. Instead, it’s one of hope as Leonard is not only in play, but the Lakers look determined to dominate the rest of free agency with what little salary they would have available after signing a max-contract player like Kawhi.

Chris Broussard has a tweet that will make you smile.

As Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus notes, rounding out the roster with such depth would take a lot of creativity on the part of the Lakers and a lot of sacrifice on the part of the incoming role players.

But it’s worth noting that, according to ESPN: “Free agent Danny Green is waiting on Kawhi Leonard's decision before making a commitment, Brian Windhorst said on The Jump.”

Leonard has quite the dilemma. Toronto would remain a title contender if he returns and the organization certainly illustrated its dedication to maintaining his health throughout the season.

The Los Angeles Clippers are another fine option, but one that was dealt a blow in their strategy to pair Leonard with another superstar.

Kyrie Irving will headline along with Kevin Durant for the Brooklyn Nets and Jimmy Butler may yet be Miami bound. The Clippers pivot nicely with Beverley and still maintains space to sign Leonard if he is convinced by their roster.

Yahoo! Sports' Chris Haynes cautioned Sunday that it might be some time before we have Kawhi closure.

But there is just as much reason to believe that the Lakers were right to practice patience rather than hit the panic button on a chaotic but entertaining open to the free agency period.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/gabezaldivar/2019/07/01/lakers-not-content-with-merely-signing-kawhi-leonard/

2019-07-01 09:00:10Z
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