Los Angeles Lakers Trade Rumors: Eric Bledsoe Could Be LA-Bound, Kevin Love Could Sign Via Free Agency

By John Santisteban | Jan 30, 2014 10:06 PM EST

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The Los Angeles Lakers should make a major facelift in the next few seasons in order to have a good chance of winning another NBA title before Kobe Bryant decides to end his storied career.

Recent reports suggested that the Lakers are in a good position to form a team centered on fast-rising point guard Eric Bledsoe and All-Star power forward Kevin Love.

ESPN Insider Chris Broussard, citing an unnamed source, indicated that the Phoenix Suns could lose their promising point guard via free agency in the offseason.

Bledsoe will be a restricted free agent, giving the Suns the right to match any offer, but sources said that the Lakers are willing to overpay the 24-year-old point guard - an offer that could not be matched by the Suns in order to steal the services of the former Kentucky standout.

"Speaking of the Suns, I was told the Los Angeles Lakers might go hard after Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe, who is out the rest of the season with a knee injury. Bledsoe will be a restricted free agent next summer, but I'm told the Lakers might be willing to overpay him to pry him away from Phoenix," Broussard said in his Insider-only report via Examiner.

Bledsoe, who is averaging18.0 points to go along with 5.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game this season, is no stranger in playing in LA having spent the first three years of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Aside from Bledsoe, Broussard revealed that Love could also be Los Angeles-bound via free agency or through a trade in the offseason or next season.

An unnamed general manager allegedly said that most of the GMs in the league are convinced with 100 percent certainty that the superstar power forward will eventually leave the Timberwolves to play for the Lakers.

If the Lakers are indeed setting their sights to the possible acquisition of Love, reports indicated that the team could pass on signing a superstar in the coming offseason to have a cap room to sign the 25-year-old in the summer of 2015 or trade for him before next year's deadline.

"If Love is a target for the Lakers in 2015, they would probably pass on signing a max player to a long-term deal this offseason with the hopes of getting Love and making a push for one other marquee free agent with the cap room they will have," Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles reported.

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