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NBA: The Biggest Winners And Losers Of Free Agency Day 1

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 20, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) is guarded by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the first half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) is guarded by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the first half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) on the bench the second half of the game against the Detroit Pistons at Staples Center. Lakers won 93-85. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Los Angeles Lakers

In contrast, it appears the “We’re The Los Angeles Lakers And We Have Kobe Bryant!” free agency pitch no longer works. At the time of this writing, the Lakers had not lured a single free agent to the bright lights of L.A. By the time of your reading this, it’s likely they still won’t have landed one. It turns out having all that cap space means nothing when your basketball pitch revolves around playing with a hobbled Kobe and two young cornerstones who have played a grand total of 14 NBA minutes so far.

Not all of that is the Lakers’ fault. Older guys like Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge were never going to be good fits in Los Angeles because they want to win now. And to be honest, the Lakers haven’t made a splash in free agency since Shaquille O’Neal almost two decades ago, so this shouldn’t be so surprising to anyone. But almost every name you’ve heard over the last year that’s been mentioned as a #FutureLaker got scooped up by someone else yesterday.

Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, Kawhi Leonard, Paul Millsap, Brook Lopez, DeMarre Carroll and every other major free agent that Lakers fans have been dreaming about for months is gone. LaMarcus Aldridge was reportedly not impressed with the basketball side of the Lakers’ pitch, which isn’t good since that basketball is in fact the sport we’re talking about here. The nostalgia and prestige of donning the purple and gold just isn’t what it once was.

Next: Winner: We The North!