NBA Rumors: The Lakers Never Really Had A Chance To Sign Kevin Durant

NBA Rumors: Despite the reported interest, the Los Angeles Lakers never really stood a chance to sign Kevin Durant this summer

Kevin Durant has been one of the hottest names ringing in the NBA today due to his impending decision to sign elsewhere. Whichever team he decides to sign with, it’s going to have a big impact to the team, regardless of what team will that be.

Among the teams that are hoping to get Durant’s attention is the Los Angeles Lakers. And unfortunately for the once-mighty franchise, they are not among the teams that Durant wants to meet with come the free agency.

And, even though they surely have the money to offer Durant a max deal, KD wants to win now especially after his Oklahoma City Thunder blew a 3-1 series lead against the Warriors.

If you want to win now, signing with the Los Angeles Lakers which just lost Kobe Bryant to retirement, isn’t a good start to achieve that goal. And even if Durant goes on to meet with the Lakers, what’s the assurance that they will get his services? What can they offer to him aside from money and Hollywood?

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A young core with Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell? The second pick from the 2016 Draft, Brandon Ingram? New coach Luke Walton? Do you think, with all the Lakers’ struggles during the recent seasons, having a young core, a promising rookie and a new coach at the helm, will be enough to lure KD into signing with the purple and gold? Nope. Not enough.

Here’s the thing, folks. The Lakers will just waste money and effort trying to win a race they know they cannot win.

Look at what happened last season. They tried very hard to get a deal with LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge did meet with Kobe and the rest of the organization but in the end, Aldridge signed with the San Antonio Spurs while the Lakers had to settle with Roy Hibbert.

The Lakers cannot make the same mistake especially if Coach Walton wants to redeem the Lakers which have been struggling miserably during the last few years. They should forget about Kevin Durant.

They already knew for themselves that KD won’t be signing with them. They know they don’t need Durant to jump start their post-Kobe Bryant era. After all, they have Clarkson, Randle and Russell around, that’s assuming Russell doesn’t get traded before the season starts.

What can the Lakers do, instead of chasing Durant? Get a more efficient center to replace Hibbert.

His lack of consistency is one of the many reasons why the Lakers finished the 2015-16 season with their worst record in franchise history. Let’s be realistic here, folks. Hibbert is not the ideal center fit for the Lakers.

Among the centers that the Lakers could pick from in free agency, Hassan Whiteside has to be at the top of the list. They can also try going after Al Hotford or even Andre Drummond.

However, Whiteside is the ideal choice for the Lakers and the perfect fit for its young core. Give the young guards a center they can blend in with and they will give you success, possibly a playoff return. And if you’ve watching the Miami Heat during the regular season, then you know Whiteside is one of the reasons for their success.

The free agency is about to open and the Lakers have plenty of options; just a Kevin Durant. The Lakers know this themselves that they will never get Durant, at least for this season.

For now, they can nurture the young guns including Ingram. Luke Walton must use his knowledge gained from being Steve Kerr‘s assistant with the Warriors to come up with plans to help the purple and gold slowly regain their glory.

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If anything, having Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram is more than enough for the Lakers to start winning games that they should be winning. And no, they will never need someone like Kevin Durant to prove that they can win.