Los Angeles Lakers: 5 wildly ambitious free agency targets in next 3 years

LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers

When he’ll be available: Free agent in 2018 (player option) or 2019

Despite all of the smoke we’ve been seeing, this one is still wildly ambitious. The Lakers haven’t had much luck with luring free agents, so what makes them think they can land the league’s best player?

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It’s not like the Lakers are one piece away from contending. They’re going to need another significant overhaul next offseason to convince LeBron James they can take down the Warriors. Even with George in the mix, it’s no guarantee that a LeBron-PG-13 duo can get the job done.

Yet here we are, talking about LeBron to the Lakers like it’s a done deal. There’s still a lot that can happen between now and next offseason. The Cleveland Cavaliers could turn things around. Even with the current Kyrie Irving fiasco, they could find a way to keep this team competitive in 2017-18. It may even be enough to convince James to stay for a while.

Or he could jump ship and decide to take his talents somewhere other than Los Angeles. The Houston Rockets are looking like an intriguing landing spot for the modern era’s best baller. Either way, he’s going to have options outside of the Lakers. Even if they are his top priority, is Magic willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money to get James on the backend of his career?

All of these questions aside, the Lakers would love to have LeBron. It truly is as simple as that. Even at 32 years of age, he’s still among the best players in the world. He’d bring in insane amounts of revenue for this franchise, while providing them a clear-cut path to the playoffs.

Next: 3 Lakers destined for monster seasons in 2017-18

If he’s willing to talk, James will likely get anything he asks for out of Magic and the Lakers.