Los Angeles Lakers: 3 way-too-early bold predictions for 2017-18

If any of these early, bold predictions for the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2017-18 season come true, the team will consider themselves winners.

It’s been an interesting offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA Draft Lottery showed them mercy, they got their guy during the draft, traded away a fan favorite and have played it very safe during 2017 NBA free agency.

With all of the offseason madness behind us, things get kinda slow from here on. There’s obviously the ongoing Summer League, but that won’t last much longer. Then training camp begins in late September before the regular season gets under way in late October. As you can tell, it’s going to be a boring next couple of months.

That’s why I’ve put together a few early bold predictions for the Lakers. We’ve got to find a way to keep things interesting during the dog days of the NBA offseason. Why not boldly speculate on what some of the league’s most interesting teams will accomplish in the coming season?

When it comes to the Lakers, there are so many different directions in which things can go. This club still has a lot of ground to cover before their return to glory. However, with new leadership and a clear vision for the future, it’s easy to picture this franchise in a positive light. That’s what I tried to do here.

Related Story: Predicting Lakers' 2018-19 starting five with LeBron

So here they are — my three early “bold” predictions for the Lakers’ 2017-18 campaign. Just remember that these are meant to push the limits of logic, so don’t take them too seriously.

All of the Paul George rumors quiet down

It’s official — Paul George will not be a Laker during the 2017-18 season. He will, however, be a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. So why not just let him do his thing this season and worry about his future plans when next offseason rolls around?

Sticking with that concept, I’m predicting that all of the buzz about George being a Laker will die off. A trade already went down and he landed elsewhere, so that’s no longer an option. Free agency is still almost a year away, so talk of signing him in 2018 is moot, at least until the end of next season. So why keep blabbering on about it?

That doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t happen. In fact, I believe him landing with the Thunder helps Los Angeles’ cause. As great as playing with Russell Westbrook should be for George, it’s not going to be enough to get him to the Finals. He’s not going to spurn the Lakers for a team that isn’t a true contender.

This could even be an opportunity for George to recruit Westbrook to join him in L.A. The Thunder’s star guard played his college ball at UCLA and grew up in Long Beach. Although it’s extremely unlikely, maybe Brodie could return to his roots as well by joining the Lakers when he hits the open market in 2019.

Either way, look for the George-to-Lakers talk to calm down. Let’s focus on the season at hand, and let the speculation begin once the 2017-18 campaign is in the books.

Lakers find a sucker to trade Luol Deng to

Speaking of PG13, the Lakers still need to secure more cap space if they plan on making a run at George and LeBron James in 2018 free agency. They already got rid of Timofey Mozgov and his horrid contract. The next step is discovering a way to unload Luol Deng’s.

Well that’s exactly what I’m predicting will happen this season. Somehow, some way, Magic Johnson will find a taker for Deng. Who knows what it’ll take to convince another team to absorb that albatross of a contract. In the end, though, all that matters is clearing cap space for a free agency spending spree in 2018.

I won’t speculate on which team it will be that pulls the trigger. More than likely, though, it’ll be a rebuilding franchise willing to take on Deng in order to acquire a young asset like Jordan Clarkson or Julius Randle. Getting rid of one of those youngsters isn’t ideal for the Lakers, but may be necessary to facilitate a trade.

Once that happens, the Lakers will have more than enough money to land the big fish in 2018 free agency. Magic is priming this franchise for what seems like an overnight turnaround. Unloading Deng and his $18 million per year would be a big step in that direction.

Considering what this new regime started with, they’ve made significant progress. If this prediction comes true, they’ll be that much closer to earning this franchise some respect.

Lakers somehow earn the No. 8 seed in West

I know, I know. This is ridiculous, right? How is this Lakers team going to actually win enough games to beat out seven other teams in the Western Conference? Well you have to remember that these are bold predictions…

Here’s what the Lakers have going for them: Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. I’m very confident this will be a breakout season for Ingram, one of the top prospects in the NBA. Then there’s Ball, who’s already flashed some serious playmaking potential during Summer League.

If these two can do more of this during the regular season, they’re going to win some games:

Had this been the 2016-17 season, the Lakers would have needed 42 wins to inch out the Portland Trail Blazers for the final playoff spot in the West. That’s 15 more wins than they had. While I don’t believe this team has gotten leaps and bounds better this offseason, there’s plenty leaning in their favor.

Sure, the conference as a whole has improved. At the same time, that also means others team will have a tough time racking up wins as well. It gets more difficult for everyone — not just the Lakers. With Ball and Ingram, Brook Lopez and Ivica Zubac roaming the middle and another year under Luke Walton’s belt, the only direction to go is up.

Now don’t get too excited. Winning the eighth seed likely means a meeting with the Golden State Warriors in the first round. There isn’t a chance this current Lakers team can beat them in a seven-game series. Still, making the playoffs is a marked improvement, especially after failing to do so the last four seasons.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Plus, it keeps the Boston Celtics from having yet another lottery pick next year. That in itself is a win for the Lakers.