With only eight games left in the 2023-24 NBA regular season and the Los Angeles Lakers potentially facing an early exit in the upcoming NBA playoffs, speculation has started to run rampant about the team’s intentions during the summer. There’s a chance the team could look a lot different next season, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis giving it another run with some incoming talent or the team beginning the post-James era if he chooses to leave Los Angeles in free agency.
A lot hinges on James’ decision to stay or explore his options in free agency, but it seems all signs point to him opting out of his current deal and signing another two- or three-year deal with the team.
James’ decision might be tied to whether the Lakers can bring in another star player, which Jovan Buha of The Athletic made clear is the team’s intention this summer, with Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks being the most likely trade target.
“Yes, they are,” Buha said. “And I can confirm that from multiple sources. They are going third-star hunting this offseason. And we’ll see how that affects the DLO situation. We’ll see how — you probably have to give up Austin in almost any third-star trade. … Now, who’s available? The one name I continually hear is Trae Young. He’s been to Laker playoff games before. He’s a Klutch Sports client. That’s probably the most realistic one right now. What happens with Dallas and Kyrie? Do they flame out? Do they lose in the Play-In? Do they lose in round one? Does Dallas ultimately break that up? And then, what’s the market for Kyrie? Donovan Mitchell, it seems like there’s been a little bit more growing optimism and buzz that he’s gonna stay in Cleveland. But even if he leaves, the two New York teams have reportedly been the favorites just because he’s from the greater New York area.”
Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell & Kyrie Irving are Lakers trade targets this summer
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