3 bold predictions for the Lakers offseason

Lakers bold offseason prediction: No splashy move

The Lakers, by their nature, are connected to every splashy potential free agent in the league. Kyrie Irving has been the talk of the town since he demanded a trade out of Brooklyn. The Lakers ultimately didn’t trade for him and now the Dallas Mavericks are trying to re-sign him. All signs point to Kyrie staying in Central Texas — and he’s even trying to convince LeBron to join him.

It’s a not-so-bold prediction to say LeBron won’t join Irving in Dallas, but with Irving off the board, what other big-splash options are there for Los Angeles? Well, now there’s Chris Paul. The Suns are reportedly considering either trading, waiving, or stretching the 38-year-old.

Paul is LeBron’s close friend and he will want to compete for a title next season, no matter the outcome. The Lakers can’t match Paul’s contract in a trade. Paul could accept a discount to join the Lakers as a free agent, but frankly it seems far more likely that Paul would accept that discount from the Suns. He has grown close to Devin Booker and there has to be some measure of confidence in Kevin Durant’s first full season with the team leading to a different outcome.

So, no Irving and no Paul. The Lakers are going to strike out on the big names, if there’s even interest in the first place. Los Angeles will instead focus on retaining its own players and fleshing out the roster with inexpensive role players.

If Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, and Austin Reaves aren’t on the team, the Lakers will need a starting guard…