Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridg (Photo : REUTERS)
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott has somewhat hinted at big changes coming this summer, saying he wouldn't be surprised if 7-8 new players show up on the first day of training camp.
In a chat with CBS Sports Jim Rome, Scott said he's expecting the Lakers front-office to make a big splash this offseason, with the draft picks and cap space at their disposal.
Scott, whose first head coaching season with the purple-and-gold ended with the worst regular-season record (21-61) in franchise history, is confident the Lakers haven't lost its luster in attracting free-agents, more so elite level talents in the market.
With only four players under contract for next season, the Lakers will have a cap space that could range as high as $28 million (contingent on their decision to exercise a team option worth $9 million for the second year of Jordan Hill's contract) to make a run for the likes of Rajon Rondo, LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol and other max contract eligible players.
Winning the no.2 overall pick in next month's NBA Draft is also a big boost for the Lakers, who now have a crack at either of the two best big men prospects out of college: Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke's Jahill Okafor.
In an interview with ESPN, Kupchak cleared that their plan is to use the lottery pick for a big man and possibly use the other picks (no.27 overall and a second round pick) to move up on the draft boards or include these in a trade package to acquire an established player or more assets.
While Kupchak is expecting Kobe Bryant to make his last go-around with the Lakers next season, it's still unclear on what level of development the team wants to achieve this offseason: will they go all in for big-time free-agents now and give Bryant another shot at his sixth NBA title, or will they stash some of their cash for the loaded free-agency summer of 2016, when Kevin Durant becomes available. Either way, the future is certainly a lot brighter after two seasons of disappointments.
