LeBron James and Lakers reportedly pursued three SUPERSTAR guards but failed to land any

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers pursued star guards such as Damian Lillard but, in the end, were unsuccessful in their efforts.

LeBron James and Lakers reportedly pursued three SUPERSTAR guards but failed to land any

From L to R: Kyle Lowry, Kyrie Irving, Lebron James and Damian Lillard (Images via X/ Twitter)

It seems like the Lakers haven’t learned their lesson from the Russell Westbrook trade. The addition of Westbrook really hurt the Los Angeles Lakers to the point where they were not even in contention to make the playoffs with him on the team. It seems like the Lakers, coming into this offseason, wanted to add another ball-dominant point guard even after having D’Angelo Russell and adding Gabe Vincent this offseason.

In a recent report by Jovan Buha of The Athletic, he reported that the Lakers have pursued a lot of star guards, including Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, and Kyrie Irving. While LeBron James was interested in bringing Kyrie to the organization, the Lakers ruled out the option because they focused on continuing the roster that made the Western Conference finals.

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“The Lakers have pursued other star guards, including Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, and Kyrie Irving. Even into this summer, there were some in the organization, including James, who still had an interest in pursuing Irving, though the front office ultimately prioritized continuity,” Buha wrote.

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Also Read: LeBron James and Lakers to land EXPLOSIVE young superstar? Team insider suggests franchise eyeing on two-time All-Star guard

Could the Lakers add any of the players they pursued?

Could the Lakers add any of the players they pursued?
Lebron James (via ESPN)

The biggest problem with the Los Angeles Lakers when it comes to making trades for any star player or signing a huge free agent comes down to a couple of trades they have made in the past, especially the Anthony Davis trade with the New Orleans Pelicans and Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards.

Both trades drained the Lakers of any draft compensation they could offer to any team if they wanted to trade for any star point guard. Because of the trades this past offseason, they only own one tradeable first-round pick, and that’s also in the 2029 draft, which they could offer. With guards like Damian Lillard, who have multiple years on their contracts, a team like the Portland Trail Blazers looking for a huge offer would ultimately find that deal off the table.

As for the other guards, Kyle Lowry and Kyrie Irving’s contracts are huge. If the Lakers wanted to sign those veteran guards to their teams, they would have to shell out a massive contract, which they cannot afford because they are already paying LeBron James and Davis a majority of their cap space. With Davis set to make $60 million when his extension kicks in, they could not afford any of them. For example, Irving just signed a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mavericks. 

The Lakers could not have matched the offer even if they had the cap space because Dallas had the Bird Rights and offered more than any other team could. It would be impossible for the Lakers to create $40 million in cap space if they didn’t cut most of their roster, ending up with something similar to that of the Phoenix Suns.

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