Lakers Rumors: With Paul George Joining Russell Westbrook In OKC, What's Next For LA?

The Los Angeles Lakers' front office on Friday night might have been overheard saying something to the extent of, "Wait. That's not how things were supposed to pan out."

Team president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka can be forgiven for being blindsided by the latest blockbuster trade, as most NBA insiders seemed baffled by the Indiana Pacers' decision to trade Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. George, who will be teaming up with MVP Russell Westbrook, had been linked to the Lakers, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, but there were no reports that the Thunder had any interest in arguably the most coveted player on the trade block.

Both George and Westbrook were considered top free-agent targets for the Lakers in the summer of 2018, but the trade may have thrown a wrench in the plans. Oklahoma doesn't have state income tax, can offer George a massive contract extension and Westbrook has already shown a willingness to stick around after re-signing with the Thunder after Kevin Durant left for Golden State. With George on the Thunder, it's quite possible that the "super team" that the Lakers were trying to piece together may be taking place in the Sooner state rather than Hollywood.

So now what?

The George trade may not necessarily be a "back-to-the-drawing-board" moment for the Lakers. Johnson and Pelinka had expressed more of an interest in signing George as a free agent rather than surrendering assets to get him. George has also maintained that he wants to play for the Lakers and if there is any sort of a special friendship between George and his fellow Southern California native Westbrook they've kept it quiet. However, the idea of both George and Westbrook leaving Oklahoma City for Los Angeles comes off a bit far-fetched. Right now, the Lakers' best bet might be George and someone other than Westbrook.

Meanwhile, sources told insider Adrian Wojnarowski that the Lakers have had talks with Andre Iguodala and Rajon Rondo. Neither Iguodala nor Rondo is seen as a key difference maker, but both represent an injection of experience on a roster loaded with youth.

With the addition of veteran big man Brook Lopez and without a first-round draft pick, the Lakers may look at the 2017-18 season as an opportunity to make a serious push at playoff berth to perhaps entice potential free agents. Some might feel that Iguodala, who played under head coach Luke Walton in Golden State, and Rondo, whose play drew positive reviews from Kobe Bryant, would bring stability to the team. Possibly ending the playoff drought might also be a good way to convince a free agent that the Lakers have effectively shed their recent reputation for underachieving with a mismatched roster.

Johnson and Pelinka are undoubtedly aware that the Lakers lack a legitimate go-to guy, and the only way to fix the issue is by landing a top free agent. The Lakers still have plenty of cap space to sign two free agents to maximum contracts.

It's also possible that the Lakers still have dreams of luring LeBron James with one of those max contracts as opposed to either George or Westbrook. James may be willing to make the move out West, but it's highly doubtful that he would join the Lakers without another star free agent. The Lakers have about $42 million to bring in James and another star to L.A.

While it may seem like a stretch to land James without either George or Westbrook, there has been speculation that James' wife, Savannah Brinson, is interested in living full-time in L.A. and James may want to spend his final NBA years in a city that's home to his production company, SpringHill Entertainment.