Lakers Podcast: Starting Lineup, Clippers Hoping To Steal Kawhi Leonard, Plus Mailbag Questions

Trevor Lane
3 Min Read
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers made the biggest acquisition of the summer when they signed LeBron James, who becomes the biggest star the franchise has seen since the retirement of Kobe Bryant.

They followed up the move by signing veterans Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee. However, there are a whole host of new questions that need to be answered now regarding the lineup.

Host Trevor Lane, along with Nikki Kay and Hannah Kulik addressed that on this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast. The roster is now set, but who will be in the starting lineup?

James is a certainty, but beyond that, the Lakers have stated that all other spots are up for competition. Plus, what lineup will Luke Walton use to finish games? With the lack of options available at center, might he go small with James at center?

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Of course, this season’s Lakers roster isn’t the end game for president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka. They will have enough salary cap space to target a max free agent next summer, with Kawhi Leonard being a likely target.

However, rumors are spreading that the Clippers feel suspiciously good about their chances to sign Leonard and steal him away from their crosstown rivals. Can they really take a major free agent away from the Lakers?

The Lakers’ new jerseys were also leaked when pictures of them appeared in a store before they were released, are they too yellow or is it just poor lighting? We dig into ‘jerseygate.’

To wrap things up, we take questions from listeners via our mailbag, covering a variety of topics like who James will hinder on the team, who the top scorer on the bench will be, and much more.

To listen, just click the player above.

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Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com