IN the twilight of his career, the Los Angeles Lakers are giving LeBron James a lineup that could very well bring 'The King' his fifth championship and thus cement his legacy as the best player to set foot on the basketball court.At the start of free agency yesterday, the Lakers quickly picked up former Miami Heat point guard Gabe Vincent on a three-year, $33-million deal. Vincent was a vital cog to Heat's unlikely run to the NBA Finals where he averaged 12.7 points in the playoffs and shot 37.8 percent from the arc.The Lakers are now negotiating with starting guard D'Angelo Russell reportedly for a two-year, $40-million deal. The acquisition of Russell last February was one of the main reasons why the Lakers went from a lottery-bound team to a Western Conference Finals contender.The team also must make a decision on guard Lonnie Walker 4th, who is an unrestricted free agent.The team also re-signed forward Rui Hachimura to a three-year, $51-million deal. The forward strongly contributed to the Lakers' playoff run averaging 12.2 point while shooting an efficient 55.7 percent from the field and nearly 49 percent from the three-point range.After being waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers signed forward Taurean Prince to a team-friendly, one-year, $4.5-million contract. Prince is a 3-and-D player who shot 38.1 percent of his three-pointers last season. He helps the team improve its perimeter defense while providing buckets when needed.As insurance, the team signed another forward, former No. 10 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft Cam Reddish. Reddish has struggled to make his way in the NBA early in his career despite high expectations. At 23 years old and a few years from his prime, the Lakers hope that Reddish turns into a better player and give them quality bench minutes.Assuming the team re-signs Austin Reeves, the Lakers will have impressive wing depth and have the flexibility to deploy wings and slow down opposing teams.The Lakers have already extended a qualifying offer for Reeves to ensure that the team has the right to match any salary offered by another team. He was the third-best player in the Lakers' lineup behind James and Anthony Davis during the playoffs. Reeves averaged 17 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds on an ultra-efficient .464/.443/.895 shooting splits. He can potentially earn up to $100 million in free agency and look for the Lakers to match any offer within reason.If all these new players mesh well with the Lakers' core, the team now has a 'win-now' core that can challenge any NBA team. For once, the Lakers have made decisive moves in just the first few hours of free agency. Look for the Lakers to sign a back-up center and another guard to fill out their roster.LeBron James must be all smiles now.raffyrledesma@yahoo.com
