Los Angeles Lakers Should Go All in on James Harden in 2013 - Bleacher Report

It's being reported that Serge Ibaka has signed a fat extension with the Thunder, and, with Oklahoma City's cap situation, that leaves gold-medal sixth man James Harden's future in Oklahoma City in doubt.

Meanwhile, in Lakerland, the Los Angeles Lakers have rolled out a "big four," but for how long?  It's more than likely that the Lakers' two star backcourt players will hang up their sneakers at the ends of their contracts (Kobe Bryant in 2014, Steve Nash in 2015), and their two frontcourt players likely have more years behind them than ahead of them (with neither of them are guaranteed to end their careers in Forum Purple).

The solution seems obvious for the Lakers: throw as much money as you can at the 23-year-old Harden.  Logistically, this would make sense in a rear-loaded deal with enough offered in the 2013-14 season to stave off all the lilliputian-sized-market Oklahoma City (who already has $55 million committed) can offer, and enough offered after that to convince Harden to come here.

Since Harden turns 23 this month, we can more likely than not be looking forward to 12 to 15 more seasons of him in the league.  And considering his age and his experience in the league, the curve would indicate that some of his best seasons will come.  Considering that Harden's already a gold medalist and one of the best, I'd certainly like to have Harden when he's having his best seasons.

Harden to the Lakers makes sense on a number of levels.  One is the age and best-season curve.  Another is that he can replace the aging and playing-hurt Kobe Bryant.  A third is the local factor: James Harden was born in Los Angeles and went to high school at Artesia High.  

That's not even considering the implications of weakening the Lakers' greatest Western Conference foe, while improving their own team at the same time.

In the 2013-14 season, when both Kobe and Harden would be under contract, one would move up to the 3 position when both are on the floor.  The 3 is horrendously weak for the Lakers; both Kobe and Harden have played at the 3 both internationally and domestically.

Bottom line: The Los Angeles Lakers need to make every effort to have James Harden under contract