The LA Lakers are coming into the season looking to challenge for the playoffs and come next year, they will be chasing free agent names like Rajon Rondo, Greg Monroe, Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge and before that, the team may look at making trades with Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin or other players to help clear cap space to sign names for Kobe Bryant.
The Lakers are coming into the season with a new head coach and a new outlook and they are hoping that Kobe Bryant can stay healthy for the full run. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the team is planning on targeting Rajon Rondo, Greg Monroe, Marc Gasol and other top name free agents on the market next summer. That is why the team is not using the stretch provision on Nash, as they want to get as much money off of the cap as possible.
Nash and Lin are on expiring deals, so trading them is not necessary, but those deals actually could make them more attractive in trades. The team is planning on using both players extensively at point guard, but if things don't work out with one, there is a chance that a trade could go down. The Lakers are setting up for next summer and while they hoped that Kevin Love would be the primary target, now they have the chance to look elsewhere.
Last season the Lakers won just 27 games and ranked near the bottom of the league in points allowed per game and now Byron Scott is hoping to make the team into a tough out. The team comes in with a number of players back from last season, including Nick Young, Wesley Matthews, Xavier Henry and Ryan Kelly. The team has also added Lin and Carlos Boozer to the mix and that should help stem the loss of Pau Gasol up front with Boozer. Boozer was signed after the Bulls used the amnesty clause on him and while he wasn't great last season, he is well worth it for the price the Lakers had to pay compared to his salary last year.
The team has added some more players for training camp and names like Keith Appling and Jabari Brown along with forwards Roscoe Smith and Jeremy Tyler could be impact players if they stick around. The end of bench options for the team likely will get some solid minutes and it really could make the Lakers significantly better if their second unit is improved from last season. The team should compete for a bottom playoff spot this season and they feel that Bryant can be back in the mix as a 23-25 point per night guy if he is healthy.
The Lakers at one point were hoping to take advantage of the fact that the Phoenix Suns and Eric Bledsoe had not yet been able to agree on a contract. The team considered making a sign and trade offer, but with the idea that a deal was unlikely, the team opted to make other moves instead. Bledsoe is now signed and had he not been signed, teams like the LA Lakers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks could have been potential destinations for the restricted free agent.