The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into some uncertain times as Kobe Bryant returns from his serious Achilles injury and with Dwight Howard already leaving the franchise for the Rockets, the 2014 free agent summer will be an interesting one, as Kobe, along with many other players like LeBron James, could be free agents.
The Lakers have been rumored in being interested in trying to sign LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony if they hit the market, as Kobe is getting older and the franchise wants a new superstar, but that might not be in the cards, as both could sign extensions. On top of that, the Lakers front office put colt water on those rumors, but other news came out over the summer that Pacers star Paul George could be a target as well.
George makes sense because of his age and his talent, but that might be another thing that the Lakers have to change up, as he reportedly is close to signing an extension with the team. According to ESPN.com, George and the Pacers are working on an extension that would keep him in Indiana for the next five years for just under $90 million and that takes another talented player off the market for the Lakers.
While some are unlikely, some options for the Lakers include LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Andrew Bogut, Ray Allen as well as Greg Monroe or even Luol Deng, who is set to be a free agent if he doesn't re-sign with Chicago. Deng and the team had some talks this summer, but those were tabled until the end of the season and now it appears that Deng will be moving on. The Bulls will be in the market for someone if Deng leaves as well and that could make it harder for the Lakers to sign someone else.
George was excellent down the stretch in the playoffs last season while scoring nearly 20 points per game and he is considered a budding superstar in the league. The Pacers re-signed David West and added Luis Scola and they could be a force in the East this season. The Lakers have plenty of question marks and if George is off the market, they will focus elsewhere.
