Are the Los Angeles Lakers the destination for the NBA’s next super team?
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As unlikely as it seemed just a few days ago, the Lakers are suddenly a possible championship contender despite the fact that they haven’t made the playoffs in five years. That would be all because in the past two days, reports surfaced that Kawhi Leonard had declared the Lakers as his No. 1 destination. This followed betting odds that had placed LeBron James’ most likely destination as Los Angeles, not to mention, Paul George’s persistent desire to join his hometown team in the Purple and Gold.
Which now begs the question: Are the Lakers going to be the biggest threat to the Warriors during the 2018-19 season?
Obviously, a lot has to happen in order for this to even be a possibility. The Lakers have to move pieces around, namely Luol Deng’s two-year, $36 million contract along with other young players, including the likes of potentially Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and/or Brandon Ingram.
But if it’s for the chance to acquire three top 10 players, including the best player in the game, you have to do it.
There is a huge power imbalance in the NBA right now due to the Golden State Warriors. While the Houston Rockets certainly posed a threat to them before the Chris Paul injury, they were the only team that had any chance of beating Golden State in a seven-game series this season. The Warriors coasted through the playoffs, defeating both the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans in five-game series apiece before dispatching the best team in the Eastern Conference in an embarrassing sweep in the NBA Finals.
By DJ Siddiqi
