http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20175109/lakers-celtics-sixers-more-potential-superteams-challenge-warriors-nbaThe next '11 Heat: Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James and Paul George in purple and gold? Don't sleep on this one. (And if not James, maybe Russell Westbrook writes his "I'm coming home" ode to L.A.)
The Lakers could have as much as $70 million in cap space next summer, which would be good enough to fit two max-level stars to join Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. Getting to that $70 million will take some maneuvering, but all indications from LakerLand point to that direction. The team refused to go more than one year on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's contract, and they already moved Timofey Mozgov's contract for Brook Lopez's expiring deal.
There's more work to do. The three-step process may have to wait until 2018 draft night: They have to stretch Luol Deng's contract ($36 million remaining over five seasons) along with trading Jordan Clarkson's remaining two years, $26 million. And lastly, they will have to find a taker during the season for Julius Randle or renounce his rights in free agency.
This should be doable because the Lakers can trade their 2019 first-round pick once the 2018 pick is selected (either by Philadelphia or Boston). League rules prohibit sending out first-round picks in consecutive years so the Lakers will have to wait until Adam Silver walks to the podium to announce their traded 2018 pick. After that, president Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka can package the 2019 and 2021 first-rounders in any salary dumps.
The Lakers have the prestige, the budding stars and the cap space. But can Magic close the deal like his former coach Pat Riley did in 2010?