NBA superstar LeBron James headlining the fabled Los Angeles Lakers was supposed to be a surefire shot to a championship title. But the stars did not align with James on the first try so he is now on a mission to hunt for additional firepower. It could be that a Kyrie Irving or a Kemba Walker will fit with the plan, and give King James a triumph in California.
Fox Sports said James and the Lakers are now actively recruiting and "hoping to land another star this summer." The eyes are set on the free agency market and James himself is reportedly reaching out to Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard. Any of the names will surely beef up the Lakers lineup and boost its chances of another NBA win.
Then there is Irving, a former James teammate and currently dons the Celtics color. The duo had a successful campaign for the Cleveland Cavaliers and replicating the same with the LA Lakers titillates the mind easily. Last heard from Irving, playing again with James is not a remote possibility, likely because he knew that success will fare better with the King around.
The Lakers too can count on another solid recruit by trying to lure Bradley Beal out of the Washington Wizards. Beal will certainly help out as he regularly pumps in over 25 points per game and boasts of a strong average from the three-point area. And the best thing about Beal, according to Bleacher Report, is he's still short of the supermax status, thus giving the Lakers better maneuvering in the free agency space.
However, to get their hands on Beal the Lakers will need to offer something in exchange and that would be Lonzo Ball. On this, the decision process shouldn't be too hard on the team.
In the same way, prodding the fast-rising Kemba Walker to become a Laker for next season is not an easy thing. To begin with, Walker is now part of the supermax league and that means the team will have to spend big to convince him that LA is where he belongs.
And the Lakers will need to act fast and make their moves decisively as Walker is being courted by potent rivals, among them the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic. LA also needs to anticipate that Walker's current team, the Charlotte Hornets, will move heaven and earth to retain the superstar's services.
The days ahead will surely be exciting. There is little doubt that James is reshaping a team that appears to have lost its old glory and he will need to make adjustments and sacrifices to achieve his goal of proving the Los Angeles Lakers can win again with him as the franchise piece.
