Windhorst: LeBron ‘in Contact’ With Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler About Coming to Lakers

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers desperately need another superstar-type player to pair with The King, and according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the four-time MVP is hard at work. Windhorst reports that the recruitment process is already underway for James, who has reportedly been in contact with Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler.

While James is reportedly doing what he can to appeal to players like Butler and Leonard about coming to the Lakers, Magic Johnson’s appearance on First Take highlighted a power struggle going on amongst those in the Lakers’ front office. It’s something that could potentially prevent high-profile talent from taking their talents to L.A. over concerns of organizational instability. 

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this Lakers organization. The team is still dealing with the aftermath of their failed trade talks with the New Orleans Pelicans about acquiring Anthony Davis prior to the deadline. The Lakers’ young stable of talent, which includes Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart, were all mentioned in various reported trade packages offered to the Pelicans.

The Lakers’ urgency to ship out their young core in an effort to pair James with a better player in AD created a divide, and we don’t know if their differences have been resolved. From top to bottom, there are plenty of issues that the Lakers need to figure out before they can confidently pursue a Butler or Kawhi.