As expected, rumors about players the Los Angeles Lakers will pursue in NBA free agency this summer have begun to run rampant around the league. Los Angeles has been linked with every big-name player set to become available on July 1 from the top-tier free agents to the most sought-after role players.
On Saturday, Mo Speights (Marreese Speights) of the Golden State Warriors had a little fun with a couple of rumors circulating about two of his current teammates. Speights saw Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli eating breakfast and took full advantage of the situation calling them “Future Lakers” in his Snapchat caption, via Payton Grant’s Twitter account:
Mo Speights snapchat story pic.twitter.com/tBTmcOujKo
— Payton Grant (@thats_so_payton) May 7, 2016
Clearly, the rumors have been floating around the locker room in Oakland, especially with Luke Walton recently signing his five-year deal to become the new head coach of the Lakers.
Barnes and Ezeli will be restricted free agents this summer with the Lakers potentially ready to make a run at both players once offers can be made.
Barnes recently made an appearance on 95.7 The Game and was asked if he’d be following Walton to Los Angeles this summer. Barnes laughed while saying the following, via Inside the Warriors:
“See, that’s tampering at that point. That’s just tampering.”
There’s no telling what will happen with the Warriors rumored to be pursuing superstar Kevin Durant in free agency, but it’s a safe bet Barnes and/or Ezeli will get a call from the Lakers brass when the time comes. Barnes may have the opportunity to play a substantial role in Los Angeles under Walton while cashing in if the Warriors don’t intend to match offers made to the soon-to-be 24-year-old this summer.