What The Kawhi Leonard Trade Means For Lakers, LeBron James In 2018-2019 NBA Season

Shortly after the Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals, it became pretty apparent that LeBron James was headed to the Los Angeles Lakers. The world’s best basketball player had no help in trying to dethrone the league’s newest dynasty, and he would head West for a chance at playing with a superstar that could get him a fourth ring.

Paul George was initially supposed to be the Robin to James’ Batman. The Indiana Pacers traded George to the Oklahoma City Thunder last year because he told the organization he planned to sign with the Lakers as a free agent this summer, but the All-Star changed his mind and made a long-term commitment to playing with Russell Westbrook.

With George no longer an option, it looked like the Lakers would make a push to trade for Kawhi Leonard. A deal made plenty of sense, considering Los Angeles has valuable young players and Leonard made it clear that he wouldn’t sign a long-term contract with any team outside of the L.A. area.

But the Lakers won’t have Leonard, at least not for the 2018-2019 season. The San Antonio Spurs traded their best player to the Toronto Raptors Wednesday in exchange for DeMar DeRozan. Smaller pieces were also included in that deal.

What does this mean for the Lakers? The team’s roster as currently constructed could largely stay the same for the entirety of the upcoming season.

Perhaps the team will make smaller deals before the trade deadline, but it isn’t likely that Los Angeles will make some sort of blockbuster trade. Magic Johnson and the front office appear patient and willing to wait until 2019 free agency to add another All-Star, whether it be Leonard or another player that’s looking for a max contract.

James will play with a young core of players that potentially includes multiple future All-Stars. Point guard Lonzo Ball filled up the stat sheet in his first season after being drafted No.2 overall. Brandon Ingram was taken with the second pick in the previous season, and the forward has an even higher ceiling than Ball. Kyle Kuzma arguably had the best season of any returning Laker, averaging 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a rookie. Josh Hart was just named the 2018 Summer League MVP.

Those players still have a lot to prove after the Lakers finished with 35 wins last season. Free-agent additions Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee didn't move the needle much. Neither did bringing back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Maybe James and Leonard could’ve given the Warriors a run for their money. As currently constructed, Los Angeles won’t be much better equipped to beat Golden State than Cleveland was last season.

Expectations will still be relatively high. After James dragged the Cavs to the Finals, he should be able to get the Lakers to the West’s No.3 seed behind only the defending champs and the Houston Rockets. Anything short of an appearance in the second round of the playoffs would have to be considered a disappointment.

The Lakers are certainly good enough to win their first postseason series in seven years. The Leonard trade, however, probably ends any hopes the team had of winning a title for the first time in nearly a decade.