LA Lakers Rumors: If They Can’t Sign Kevin Durant, Lakers Going After Two Golden State Warriors

The L.A. Lakers are preparing for 2016 NBA free agency and the NBA Draft this summer, and there are any number of things that could happen. One of the key targets in free agency is Kevin Durant, and there will be a whole host of teams looking to sign him. The Lakers are one of them, but they also need a coach. Derek Fisher not only feels as if he could fill the head coach role, but that he could also help the Lakers land Durant.

Now, if the Lakers don’t end up signing Durant, then there is a whole host of other players out there that they could go after. Two of them are currently with the Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles would love to bring in Festus Ezeli and/or Harrison Barnes.

After the firing of Byron Scott, the Lakers are now looking for a new head coach. A number of names have popped up, including John Calipari, Luke Walton, and Kevin Ollie. Derek Fisher is almost actively campaigning to become the new head coach in Los Angeles, and he believes his player connections will help him get it.

With a lot of money to spend, the Lakers are going to make a run at Kevin Durant when he lands in free agency this summer. Lakers Nation is reporting that Fisher hopes his connections to Durant and Russell Westbrook will make him more attractive to the Lakers as a coaching candidate.

Over the past few years, the Lakers have dropped the ball on landing a number of big-time free agents, and it got them into the situation they’re in now.

If there was some type of guarantee that Fisher could help bring in either one of those players, the Lakers would hire him immediately. The problem is that a guarantee like that is almost impossible to put in place.

The Lakers have a lot of salary cap room for next season and that could be enough to lure Durant to Los Angeles. If he decides to pass on them, there are other options and two of them are players from the Golden State Warriors.

The Sporting News is reporting that forward Harrison Barnes and center Festus Ezeli of the Warriors are two players becoming free agents this summer. If the Warriors make a big push to sign Durant and the Lakers don’t get him, Los Angeles could go after both of the former Warriors.

Both are young, strong players that would fit right into the mold of the current Lakers.

Festus Ezeli would help fill a void in the lane that Roy Hibbert was expected to do last year when he was signed, but it didn’t quite work out. The Lakers would still look for another veteran center, but the youth, size, and strength of Ezeli is coveted by them would come at a good price.

Harrison Barnes is likely going to require a bigger contract, but he’s established himself as a key player already. With him being only 23-years-old, there’s a tremendous upside to Barnes in that he’s going to keep advancing his skills and improving his game.

The L.A. Lakers need to rebuild after the retirement of Kobe Bryant and the horrible 2014-2015 season, which was the worst in the history of the franchise. Derek Fisher believes he would make a great head coach and can help them land Kevin Durant. Other options such as Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli could end up coming over from the Golden State Warriors. It’s going to be a wild summer in the NBA, and the Lakers have a lot of money to spend.

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