The Los Angeles Lakers could consider Golden State Warriors wing Harrison Barnes as their plan B if LA strikes out at Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
The Lakers will be among the teams looking to pursue Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant this summer, when the team gets a chance to improve their roster.
But despite having a new and intriguing coach in Luke Walton and a pact of young talents, the Lakers are still an unlikely destination for Durant, who seems to be more inclined to join a contender for a greater chance of winning an NBA championship. According to CBS Sports writer Matt Moore, Barnes could be the "most realistic plan B" for the Lakers.
"The Lakers could pair Barnes with presumed No.2 overall pick Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle in the frontcourt, with D'Angelo Russell and Clarkson at guard, to form a young team with mountains of upside. It's hyper-small, but plays to their athleticism and keeps them in play for Westbrook in 2017," Moore wrote.
Barnes would be one of the most logical choice for the Lakers to pursue this summer, with the team lacking depth at the small forward spot. The 24-year-old, who averaged 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Warriors, would also be familiar with Walton's playbooks and would fit well in LA's core of young talents.
The Lakers have not been an attractive destination for free agents in the past years, but the 16-time NBA champs could be in pole position to sign top-talented free agents who are looking for max deals, thanks to the team's projected max cap space of $62.6 million.
There is a growing sense that the Lakers will go all-out on stars like Durant, with the team seemingly looking at winning now than slowly rebuilding their way back to being contenders. But even with LA's massive cap space, a promising head coach and young and talented players, the Lakers may still need to acquire a proven star before they could lure Durant to Tinsel town.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, Durant is expected to sign a short-term deal with the Thunder that could presumably be a two-year deal with an opt-out clause on the final year. It became the most probable situation to happen after seeing the Thunder came close for their second trip to the NBA Finals.
But if teams like the Lakers could make a blockbuster trade for Chicago Bulls' Jimmy Butler or Indiana Pacers' Paul George, consider the Purple and Gold atop Durant's preferred destinations in July.