Los Angeles Lakers: Three effects of Josh Hart’s great Summer League

2. The Los Angeles Lakers will not trade for Kawhi Leonard

The chances of the Los Angeles Lakers trading for Kawhi Leonard were already pretty slim. Los Angeles and San Antonio have already failed to work out a deal, likely because of the massive asking price the Spurs had for Leonard.

However, as the summer continues and no news of a trade emerge, the Spurs’ asking price would understandably drop and may eventually reach a point where the Lakers were comfortable.

Before the offseason, I think the Lakers would have been willing to trade Brandon Ingram, Hart and Luol Deng (along with a draft pick) for Leonard under the understanding that Leonard would sign a max extension.

And while Hart’s great performance has made him a more valuable trade chip, which could lower the overall asking price from the Spurs, he has also shown the Lakers that they can afford to wait a year for Leonard.

Hart has shown that the Lakers will be just fine with the young core they have as that young core is ready to take big steps towards improvement next season. With the Golden State Warriors set to have multiple free agents next offseason, it would be smart for the Lakers to wait a year and then strike on Leonard.

Hart only answered any questions the Lakers had about their competitive situation next season. Los Angeles can afford to wait, and if the team wants to trade some young assets next summer for a third superstar, Hart’s value may be through the roof.

The smart thing to do now is to wait it out. Not only could you sign Leonard without giving up assets next summer, the team could give Hart more time to blossom and use him in a different massive trade package.