The Los Angeles Lakers are pursuing Paul George and Harrison Barnes in the summer as the team aims to become top contenders once again next season.

Lakers Nation reported that the Hollywood team has continued to set its sights on the 26-year-old George, who had been the Indiana Pacers' leading man for the past several seasons, and said to be planning "on making a run at acquiring" him this summer via a trade.

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The report cited ESPN's Bill Simmons as saying that the Lakers are intending to make a "big run" at George in the offseason by offering Indiana the team's top three pick this coming 2016 NBA Draft plus last year's second overall pick, point guard D'Angelo Russell, in exchange for the three-time NBA All-Star.

Simmons clarified, though, that such offer may not be enough to get the outright nod of the Pacers, but it "could get the conversation started".

The Lakers are said to be going all-out to acquire a proven star in the offseason after the retirement of their superstar Kobe Bryant, but it was also said that it would take more than a lottery pick and a promising young point guard to acquire top players like George, Chicago's Jimmy Butler, and Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins thru trade.

Meanwhile, rumors from ESPN said that the Lakers could also "make a play" for Barnes this summer as the Golden State Warriors' starting small forward is set to become a restricted free agent in July.

"I think he's capable of averaging 18 a game here if the Lakers sign him and brought him here," said Lakers analyst Mychal Thompson. "I think he could be more of a featured scorer, maybe a No. 2 option, maybe even a No. 1 on certain nights. He's capable of putting up in the high-20s. He's a very good shooter, can get to the basket, very athletic. He just hasn't been asked to do very much in Golden State, but coming here, he'd be asked to do more, and I think he could."

The article also mentioned that with the team having "at least $57 million in salary cap room" during the free-agency period, they could sign Barnes to max contract of about $21 million per season.

TagsNBA rumors, NBA Rumors 2016, Lakers rumors, Los Angeles Lakers, Paul George, Harrison Barnes