For the first time since 1995, the Lakers enter the NBA offseason without Kobe Bryant on their balance sheets.
Bryant helped define the West Coast’s glamour team for two decades, but securing the No. 2 pick in the second consecutive NBA Draft allows them the chance to create the foundation for the first great post-Kobe Lakers team. The front office’s burden, then, is to avoid rushing that foundation and making mistakes now that could hamper the future.
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Let’s take a look at their free agents, salary cap space and assets for this summer before breaking down what needs to be done.