NBA Free Agency: Paul George confident he can turn the Lakers around, according to report

The Los Angeles Lakers and Paul George rumors have reached a rolling boil at this point. Just about every national basketball writer has dropped their two cents on whether they truly are destined to be together, and it’s beginning to feel more and more inevitable that George will ultimately make his way to the Lakers.

Putting the pieces together, it seems clear there’s already been some level of meditation from George on the potential of a homecoming. Considering the Lakers are reportedly comfortable staying patient until the summer of 2018, and that George’s camp has apparently “encouraged” the Lakers to hold onto their assets as opposed to gutting their core to land him is about all that needs to be said.

That’s a fairly sensible plan for everyone, too. George would undoubtedly make a huge impact, but as he’s found out on the Indiana Pacers, it takes more than one or two promising prospects to contend. Sam Amick of USA Today dropped a hefty piece weaving the fabric between the Lakers and George, dropping gems all over the place.

One of the things that stood out most was this paragraph, highlighting that George is confident he can be the catalyst - not to be confused with The Catalyst - for the franchise’s return to prominence (via Amick):

George finds himself more focused on legacy than ever. And whether it’s realistic or not, the 27-year-old who grew up idolizing Bryant in Palmdale, Calif. clearly believes he can lift the Lakers out of the darkness. The question now, it seems, is whether the Lakers will have the necessary patience and prudence on their end to make the most of their situation.

We watched a very similar scenario play out just a few years ago when Dwight Howard made what felt like an inevitable move to the Lakers. There’s a lot of that in the air right now regarding George, but the Lakers and the star player have a chance to get it right this time around.

If George believes he can be that guy for the Lakers, of course he wants the cabinet to be full of young talent. It’s a potential dream scenario for everyone if LA gives the youth a year to develop while proving everything’s going the right direction. The Lakers can better-evaluate their talent and keep all of it for themselves in the meantime, George can observe what kind of team he’d be signing with, and the financial side of it is now less a factor than ever after he missed being selected to an All-NBA team this season.

The Lakers have the flexibility to make a summer signing of George into a one-two punch, similar to how the Cleveland Cavaliers did when LeBron James came home and brought Kevin Love in for the ride. George’s future will be remain as one of the biggest storylines in the NBA until his name is signed on his next contract.

The Lakers’ future is looking promising after the huge NBA Draft lottery victory. Someone like George who views himself as that missing piece for a team would have to consider the Lakers even if he didn’t grow up idolizing Kobe Bryant and loving the purple and gold. Fortunately for LA, he did, which makes the prospect of George one that is going to keep the league buzzing.