'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgf/2gAIAQEAAAAAnwn/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAECEAAAAB//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAEDEAAAAH//xAAhEAABBAEDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBQAGERIHFCHR8v/aAAgBAQABPwAafgt9HKOxbhRjZTrKRF7klfIDj843TPLbQoFjZQ38k+s//8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAgEBPwB//8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAwEBPwB//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In the absence of The King, the Los Angeles Lakers are hanging on for dear life, down at the 8th spot on the Western Conference leaderboard. They are currently 23-20 (0.535) on the season, now six games behind the West-leading Nuggets.
All that said, they don't look like a playoff-strong squad as of this moment. We can surely expect LeBron (the same person who dragged the miserably young Cavs all the way to the NBA Finals single-handedly last year) to sort out his groin issues and come back to will his side into getting a playoff berth. But considering the status quo for the purple-n-gold, nothing promising from that point on.
To put the Lakers timeline into perspective, LeBron is sure to miss at least three more games (due to a groin injury he suffered against the Warriors on Christmas Day) and the league's trade deadline ends on February 8.
Whatever might be the time-table of his return, the Lakers' front-office just can't sleep on the ticking clock. There's a generational talent's legacy at stake - one who hasn't missed the biggest stage of them all since June of 2011.
Magic Johnson and crew have tried their best to surround him with young as well as veteran talent, but they sure as hell need another legit All-Star to make it big.
Let's look at a possible wishlist that might change the fortunes of the most storied franchise in the history of the league.
#3 Kevin Love
Kevin Love has seen the highs and lows with Cleveland. He was part of the team that came back from 3-1 down in the Finals to beat the Warriors in 2016 followed by being an inside witness to one of the biggest mid-season roster shuffles before the trade deadline last year.
Love has been sidelined due to a toe injury ever since October and is yet to get back to on-court activities. But the prospect of him re-joining LeBron in LA is food for thought.
Currently, tied to a four year/$120.4 Million dollar future with the Cavs, the All-Star center knows it's all just part of the business, as the trade winds from last year still echo within,
“‘We’ll see,’ Love said, when asked about the prospect of a trade. ‘If not, we will wait until summer. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’ve said all along I’ve wanted to be here(Cleveland). I’ve said this too, it’s a business. We saw that last year at the deadline. I had never seen so many guys traded from a team really ever.’
There's no questioning Love's talent. Also, he knows fairly well what it takes to win a title, something not many on the Lakers crew are blessed with.
His compatibility with LeBron during pressure moments has been tested and proven on numerous occasions, making him a legit bid for LA in the recent future.
#2 Bradley Beal
The addition of a four-time Most Valuable Player to the roster has not delivered as desired, and the team's in a desperate need of a legit sidekick. Beal has really emerged as one of the most promising and skilled shooting guards across the league, in the absence of All-Star point guard John Wall.
Though the Lakers would be hesitant to give away the young talent and the future benefits that they might entail, Beal is the kind of player that might want you to not wait for the future in the first place.
Although Brandon Ingram - who was expected to be the star kid alongside LeBron - has tempered expectations, he has opened up trade routes for Los Angeles in order to make something good out of a somewhat disappointing season so far from the youngster.
Ball, Ingram, and KCP is the package that can be shipped to Washington to match his $25.4 Million salary, still keeping the surging Kuzma and rest of the crew intact in LA.
#1 Anthony Davis
Hollywood needs a Larry O' Brien trophy badly.
The Lakers' need of firepower enough to defeat Warriors or Celtics in a 7-game series down the stretch screams of someone like Anthony Davis. The Lakers are cognizant of the same and have been trying to get the 5-time All-Star to give in, now more than ever.
The trio of Magic, Pelinka and James comprises some of the best business minds there in the NBA as of this moment, and even though the buzz of AD-to-Lakers might have died down, these three are competent enough of pulling a miracle out their hats.
Mathematically, Magic and Co. are easily capable of curating a package good enough for the Pelicans and also have some cap space which they can utilize to extend the future MVP's stay in LA.
AD's a perennial MVP candidate at just 25-years of age, and by the time James exits the spotlight, the Lakers would have a future Hall-of-Famer in his prime and ready to take over the ball club.
