The LA Lakers are heading towards the draft lottery once again and this summer, the team plans on chasing free agents Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, Goran Dragic, Greg Monroe and LaMarcus Aldridge if they hit the market, as they have a ton of cap space and will have players like Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Lin and Steve Nash coming off of the books for Kobe Bryant.
The Lakers main targets likely will be Rajon Rondo and Kevin Love if he hits the market, as those two have been connected in rumors to the team for years. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers are hoping that Love opts out of his deal with the Cavaliers, as they are hoping to sign him to a contract. The team initially planned to target him this summer, as he was previously with the Timberwolves and everyone expected him to be available.
Things may have changed since coming to the Cavs, but he can opt out this summer and may do that. The Lakers looked at a Rajon Rondo trade this season, but they likely will fare better on the market with him, as it looks like he will not return to Dallas. The plan B option with Rondo is Goran Dragic, who is now with the Miami Heat and could re-sign there. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers plan on offering Dragic a max contract on the free agent market and while the Heat can go bigger than them, the team feels they can woo Dragic.
Pro Basketball Talk also reported that sources said that Dragic sees the Lakers as a "perfect fit" and could sign there on the market over Miami. The Heat and Knicks are also expected to chase Dragic and they could be options for Rondo as well. Greg Monroe is set to hit the market and he is another names to watch for all of those teams. Frank Isola in the daily News reported that the Knicks and the Celtics booth are planning to chase Monroe, as they expect Love to stay off the market and Marc Gasol to remain in Memphis.
This season the Lakers are 16-46 and while that is not as bad as the Knicks, the team should be set for a top five pick in the lottery. The pick has been traded, but the team will keep it if it's that high since it's protected. The Lakers rank last in the league in defense and that is one area that Byron Scott needs to work on for next year. The team is hoping Julius Randle can come back and contribute after missing basically the entire season with an injury and this comes as Bryant is also coming back from an injury.
The team will have a ton of cap space and they are expected to go after all of the top free agents and they also could potentially look at trade deals depending on who becomes available. The team has a number of directions they can go and the Lakers are hoping that Bryant can make it through one more season without a major injury for one last sustained run through the playoffs.
