LeBron James signed up to continue with the Los Angeles Lakers until 2023 for $85 million and Anthony Davis followed suit. The 27-year-old will remain another five years with Purple & Gold for a $190 million bonanza. Still, the defending NBA champions can go for another superstar and break the path for another dynasty era.
James and Davis starring for the Lakers in at least two more seasons will ensure one thing - the LA club is ready for the big fight. It can be said that for the minimum expectation, the team is a strong contender for a repeat in 2021.
And the year after that, it's not at all impossible to witness a three-peat. It was clear that AD decided to stick around to continue what was started last season. The young superstar is shooting for his second NBA ring so the campaign next season has one overriding purpose, and that is to defend the title, according to Silver Screen & Roll.
Two things are now definite for the Lakers with AD locked in for five more years, the report added. One is that The King's last two years in Los Angeles will likely be more successful than the past two seasons. The James-Davis tandem is intact so unless the two superstars are sidelined by serious injury problems, two successive title wins are within the organization's reach.
Also, the next half-decade is at least an exciting period for the team as Davis will still be around. What is left to be done is for the franchise to prepare for the future. Most likely, James will exit permanently in 2023 but it would be best if the Lakers will start the search for their third superstar.
The hunt, however, could be hampered by salary cap problems that would become more prominent for the Lakers next summer. That being the case, the team can still take advantage of the sign and trade route that proved quite beneficial for many NBA teams in the past free agency periods.
Yahoo Sports recommended the assembling of an attractive trade package that consists of stars such as Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dennis Schroder, and Marc Gasol. This will be more tempting with the addition of draft picks and the Lakers should gain the bargaining power to bid for established superstars.
The ready candidates would be James Harden and Bradley Beal but the Lakers can shoot even higher. If they can interest the Milwaukee Bucks in an exchange deal then why not go for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
To be clear though, there is no pressing need for the Lakers to scramble. The front office made offseason acquisitions, thus bringing in Montrezl Harrell, Wesley Matthews, Schroder, and Gasol, which added more depth to the roster.
If James and Davis will campaign in top form over the next two years and reinforcements would deliver to expectations, the Lakers are already on to big things.
