Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George’s decision to spurn the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 free agency is reportedly expected to become a trend in NBA circles.
According to Bill Oram of The Athletic, "most league insiders" believe the biggest free agents during the 2019 offseason will bypass the Lakers and sign elsewhere.
Despite signing LeBron James last offseason, the Lakers are 11th in the Western Conference with a disappointing 31-40 record. L.A. is clearly in need of another superstar to pair with James, but Oram's report suggests the Lakers may have to trade for someone like New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis to make it happen.
There could be some big-time players available on the open market this offseason, and there is little doubt that Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson will be in hot pursuit of them.
Depending on whether or not player options are exercised in some cases, the likes of Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, Khris Middleton, Nikola Vucevic, Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard can all hit the open market.
Many of the players listed could join the Lakers and pair with LeBron James to contend for a championship. In a perfect world, the Lakers could keep their young core and possibly sign another star in free agency without giving anything up. If Oram’s report is right, L.A. may not have that luxery despite being one of the most attrating free-agent sites.
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