The glory days of the Los Angeles Lakers are in the past as the direction of my childhood team has become somewhat unclear.  Not even Magic Johnson, who was just hired as president of basketball operations to makeover the Lakers’ front office , and his Hollywood smile could automatically alter the direction in which this franchise is headed. The firing of Jim Buss was needed for this team to move forward and become a contender.  The Lakers have always been and always will be the glamour franchise of the NBA, but they need to win in order to have a solid chance of luring top free agents in and to eventually bring the Lakers back into playoff contention.  The hiring of Luke Walton was a much needed move for the franchise.  Early into the season, when the Lakers’ record was  10-10, it seemed that their young core had an outside chance of competing for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference.  However, reality quickly set in and the team now has the third worst record in the league and is looking to retain the first round pick they possess should it be a top three selection.  The rights to a first round draft pick are automatically traded to Philadelphia if it falls outside of the top three selections due to the Dwight Howard trade, which in itself was a maneuver that set the Lakers franchise back at least a couple of years.

In an effort to keep the draft pick and to create more playing time to allow Luke Walton to evaluate his younger core, the Lakers traded their leading scorer and Sixth Man of the Year candidate Lou Williams. The one thing the Lakers have going for them is this core, which is filled with guys who possess extreme athleticism and untapped potential.  This team needs the likes of Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram, D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. to develop as attractive pieces that free agents would want to play with.  Russell and Ingram clearly have the highest ceilings and have shown flashes of brilliance, but are plagued by stretches of inconsistency. The Lakers’ future depends on the development of this core, and the question then arises as to whether the organization should trade part of its young core for an established star on the trade market such as Paul George or Jimmy Butler.  I firmly believe that a quick-fix approach of trading for a star is not the right move.  While I am not saying that the team’s young core is completely untouchable, the organization needs to make sure to make the right deal, and not give up too many pieces.  The quick-fix approach is what hampered the progress of the Lakers in the first place, as the draft picks dealt in the separate acquisitions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash proved to be quite costly since Howard did not pan out and bolted to Houston after one season and Nash was far out of his prime.

Speaking of young talent, Lakers fans are anxiously awaiting the results of the NBA Draft Lottery to see if the team will in fact be able to retain its pick.  With players such as Washington’s Markelle Fultz, Kansas’ Josh Jackson, and UCLA’s Lonzo Ball available, teams at the top of the draft board are salivating at the chance of adding one of these players into next season’s rotation.  If the Lakers were lucky enough to grab a top three selection, the team’s progress towards playoff contention would be jumpstarted and it would additionally make them an even more lucrative NBA destination.

While the Lakers are ultimately headed in the right direction, the only way that they can end their somber four-year skid of being a lottery team is if they can add a playmaker or wing to pair with Brandon Ingram in free agency and the draft.  The player that the Lakers should pursue is Paul George, who was born in the Los Angeles area and whose contract with the Pacers expires in the summer of 2018. The hiring of Rob Pelinka, Kobe Bryant’s agent, is another maneuver by Jeannie Buss that should be applauded. The prior head-butting between Jim Buss, Mitch Kupchak and other members of the front office did not promote stability within the franchise, which is essential to the success of any sports team.

Look for the Lakers to make the necessary moves this offseason and next offseason to solidify themselves as not only playoff contenders, but championship contenders, as the most successful NBA franchise in history begins its route towards reclaiming greatness.

Towards the middle of December, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) agreed on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that will take effect on July 1, 2017 and will run through the 2023-24 season.

While there are many parts to this multifaceted agreement, the most notable of its many aspects involves a dramatic increase in player salaries, along with alterations to the free agency process.  Minimum salaries in the NBA are rising by 45 percent and two-way contracts between the NBA and its developmental league (The D-League) are now finally a reality, as teams will now be able to develop their younger players who are not receiving consistent playing time in the NBA.  These are without a doubt much needed-changes to make the NBA even stronger, but with a rising salary cap and with free agency approaching quickly this summer, any alteration to the free agency process should be examined closely by all NBA franchises to ensure that major mistakes aren’t made.

Under the new CBA, there are major changes being made that will affect the landscape of free agency.  Measures were taken in this agreement to prevent franchises from forming “super teams” such as the 2010-2014 Miami Heat led by the Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, along with the current Golden State Warriors team that boasts four bona fide All-Stars and two former MVPs.  The prior CBA generally did a good job of enticing big-name players to remain with the franchises that originally drafted them. Despite Kevin Durant opting to leave the small-market Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Warriors, he remained with the Thunder organization for nine years, which is longer than most players elect to stay with one franchise in the first place.

The new CBA makes it far more lucrative for players to remain with their “hometown” teams.  Designated veteran star players will be able to sign five-year extensions with their current team with one year left on their former contract.  Previously, players were only permitted to sign four-year contract extensions with one year left on their current deal. Due to their naming to the All-NBA team in the past and their playing in the NBA for 7-9 years, 2018 free agents Russell Westbrook, Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins all qualify for this designated veteran star player status. As a result of this new CBA, designated veterans can sign contract extensions worth up to $31 million annually for five years.

This aspect of the 2017 CBA (similarly to the agreement ratified in 2011) was established in order to prevent marquee players from leaving small-market teams for bigger market teams.  These big market teams possess the financial wherewithal to have up to four All-Stars under contract.  The NBA wants to give these small market teams a shot to win a title and to succeed on more of a level playing field, rather than to have a league dominated by the allure of endorsements and big money from bigger market teams.

I’m not going to sit here and say that the Warriors are ruining the NBA because of the immense talent they have in their starting lineup, because that is just not true.  The whole point of free agency is that the player is allowed to sign with whichever franchise offers him a contract with terms that he can agree upon.  While signing with the Warriors may have tarnished Durant’s legacy since he could have followed in the footsteps of players like Kobe Bryant and stayed with the franchise that drafted him, it was his decision to make.  Players should not feel like they have to stay with a franchise but rather that they can move on whenever they feel the need.  Jerry West recently stated publicly that if free agency had existed during his playing career, he would have left the Lakers to avoid ongoing confrontations with the team owner.  While it breaks my heart to hear such an honest assessment as a diehard Lakers fan, a player should be allowed to depart for a team during free agency if he so pleases.

The new CBA incentivizes players to remain with the teams that drafted them, which is without a doubt an attempt by the NBA to eliminate super teams and to create a level playing field where a small market team possesses nearly the same chance as a big market team to contend for the Larry O’Brien trophy.  However, if a player really does not like his situation, much like Durant in Oklahoma City, then he will now be forced to give up a substantial amount of guaranteed money in order to make his exit.  This still allows players to leave and sign with other teams, but the system rewards players for loyalty to an organization. The new CBA should be applauded and its effects will hopefully be greatly felt for years to come.