The Los Angeles Lakers are nearly through yet another disappointing season, and now have 61 wins combined over the past three years — just slightly ahead of the Golden Warriors’ win-count for the current campaign.
The Lakers’ primary hope for a quick turnaround is luring a pair of top free agents this summer — with the biggest prize of all being Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star forward Kevin Durant.
The challenge for the Lakers will be convincing Durant to leave a contending team to join a squad heading for a third straight lottery appearance.
That’s a hurdle the Lakers may not be able to overcome.
Two Max Slots
The NBA’s national television deal will push the salary cap to at least $90 million next season, up from the current year’s $70 million. The spike in league income could enable over 20 teams to have at least one max slot for a free agent like Durant.
To the Lakers’ favor, they are on the short list of four or five teams with room for two mid-tier,...
