The LA Lakers are coming into the offseason looking to revamp the roster and with the cap space they have the team may target Goran Dragic, Rajon Rondo, Greg Monroe or Kevin Love in free agency, while Brandon Jennings is a potential trade target for Kobe Bryant, as Steve Nash is set to retire and Jeremy Lin likely will be allowed to leave as a free agent.
The Lakers are headed to the draft lottery once again and while Kobe Bryant is on the mend this season, the team expects to be competitive in the near future. Bryant has expressed his desire to do what is best for the team and while he wants to compete as soon as possible, he understands what the team is trying to do. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers are planning to go after Rondo and Dragic hard in free agency, as they want a strong point guard to take control of the offense.
The team has Jeremy Lin now, but he is likely to leave as a free agent when his contract is up after the season. Nash has not played this year and while it was an expected move, he announced his retirement last week. According to ESPN.com, Nash made the announcement official through The Players' Tribune website and it comes after an up and down run with the Lakers over the past few years. Nash was expected to lead the Lakers back to prominence, but injuries continued to be an issue for the point guard.
Nash is one of the most accomplished point guards in league history, winning back to back MVP awards while playing for the Phoenix Suns. Nash never got the chance to really get things going with the Lakers and moving forward the team will try and rebound by signing some free agents and hopefully getting another high lottery pick. According to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Dragic is looked at as the main free agent target, as he has previously said that he would be open to playing for the Lakers.
The team was interested in a trade at the deadline, but they were not willing to give up two first round picks like the Miami Heat did. The Lakers are projected to have over $30 million in cap space and that means they have the chance to compete for all the major free agents on the market. While that doesn't mean the team will sign those players, they have as good of a chance as anyone at making a strong offer.
Dragic reportedly sees the Lakers as a "perfect fit", but Miami will have the inside track at signing him since they can offer him a bigger deal than Los Angeles. The Lakers can offer a deal at four years and around $80 million, but Miami can go one year longer and around $100 million. The Knicks are also expected to chase after Dragic and if he stays in Miami, expect Rajon Rondo to be the player the two teams chase.
The Pistons traded for Reggie Jackson this season and that could lead to Brandon Jennings getting moved. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers previously have spoken with the Pistons about Jennings, including art the deadline this year. According to Marc Stein at ESPN.com, the Lakers want Kevin Love the most and while many speculate he could opt out of his deal with Cleveland this summer, Love has said there is no truth to that speculation.
