The Los Angeles Lakers are once again selling optimism following the most dismal season in franchise history.
General manager Mitch Kupchak says the team can get back into NBA title contention within a three-year timeframe (if not sooner), and plans to re-start the rebuild this summer through the draft.
As for attracting top-flight free agents this summer, Kupchak offered Thursday that his front-office would be “active participants.”
Per the OC Register:
“It can get better quick,” he said. “Every year, we have the same goal, which is to win a championship. We can get better quickly. We can be in the hunt quickly.”
Even more ambitious, Kupchak said it’s possible for the Lakers to return to the top of the Western Conference, which would meet the reportedly self-imposed deadline of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jim Buss. […] “Three years from now is forever,” Kupchak said.
In the short term, the Lakers turn their attention to the May 19 draft lottery, which determines whether they will have a top-five pick in June’s draft. That will set in motion what is expected to be one of the busiest Lakers’ offseasons in memory, with enough cap space to chase max-level players such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, Goran Dragic and Rajon Rondo. […] “We do anticipate we’ll be active in the free-agent market,” Kupchak said. “We have no idea how it’s going to play out. But we’ll be active participants. That would be my guess.”
