Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: With Kobe Bryant Retiring, Team Could Look To China For His Successor

The Los Angeles Lakers are going into what appears to be Kobe Bryant’s final season in the league, and rumors indicate that the team may use its No. 2 overall draft pick and look to the Far East to land his successor.

After three straight seasons cut short by injury, Kobe reportedly told Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak that this season will be his last.

But Kobe Bryant’s retirement may come at a fortuitous time for the Los Angeles Lakers. They moved up to the second overall pick in June’s NBA Draft, and despite some capable big men on the board including Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns or Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, some believe the Lakers will aim for a guard who can work for a year under Bryant’s tutelage and then take over after he retires. According to Bleacher Report‘s Kevin Ding, the best fit may be Emmanuel Mudiay, the Congolese-American guard currently playing for China’s Guangdong Southern Tigers.

“No question Mudiay is the guy. If you wanna line up somebody up next to Kobe you don’t want duplication of what Kobe does […] if you’re gonna line somebody up next to Kobe for a year you would want somebody who’s more of a pure, steadier point guard.”

Mudiay may not just be an investment for the long-term. Ding believes he can fit well with Kobe in what will be his last NBA season.

“There is some belief in the Lakers organization that Kobe could benefit from having a more traditional point guard to set him up for shots to make his life easier. So while obviously there will be tons for Mudiay to learn in his first year in the NBA, in that sense, his skill-set matches up better as a guy who can line up next to Kobe and make Kobe’s life easier for at least one year.”

But other rumors indicate the Los Angeles Lakers may go big with the second overall pick. In an interview with Colin Cowherd, Kupchak seemed to indicate that the Lakers have the big men at the top of their list.

“Clearly, at the top of the draft at this time, there are two bigs, and we have the second pick,” Kupchak told Cowherd.

Other rumors suggest that the Los Angeles Lakers could trade the No. 2 pick and gain more pieces for the post-Kobe Bryant rebuild. Though Kupchak has insisted that the team will be using the pick, some believe the team will at least entertain offers.

[Image via Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel]