Lakers Reportedly Not Expected to Sign Max Player to Go Alongside LeBron and AD

After acquiring Anthony Davis from the Pelicans in exchange for a slew of players and a pile of first-round picks, the rumors started to swirl that the Lakers would pursue another max-contract player like Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, or Jimmy Butler in order to formulate a new big three and cement their status as favorites in the West. However, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are not going to go after another such star, and will look to build a solid and affordable supporting cast around their two superstars with their cap space instead.

The decision to spend their remaining $24 million in cap space to fill their roster rather than utilize it all on one big-name player makes a ton of sense given how much they gave away to land AD, and has a chance to benefit the Lakers next season and beyond.

As we saw with the Raptors, you do not necessarily need three All-Star standouts to win the title. Rather, a reliable supporting cast of guys who know their roles perfectly and won't necessarily mind coming off the bench can make all the sense in the world.

The idea of adding a max player sounds appealing to fans, and certainly would not hurt the Lakers' chances of winning a title in the short term now that the Warriors are so badly wounded. But when you look at LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they are already more than capable of leading a team on a major run. Making sure there are five or six other guys around them who actually know how to play ball is an achievable goal, and sustainable besides.

There are plenty of depth pieces the Lakers could add, but getting shooting help on the wing should be the priority. With players such as Austin Rivers, Danny Green, and JJ Redick available, Los Angeles can and will do just that this summer without having to risk it all on one man.