Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Free Agency 2018
Oct 4, 2017; Ontario, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers team president Magic Johnson watches the game against the Denver Nuggets with general manager Rob Pelinka at Citizens Business Bank Arena. USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea

Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson is confident that the team will be able to sign two max-level superstars in this year's NBA Free Agency period starting July 1. During Thursday's NBA Trade Deadline, the Lakers traded Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. to open up nearly US$15 million (AU$19 million) in cap space.

Addressing the media after the Lakers acquired Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Johnson stressed that the team has positioned itself to pursue two elite star players in the offseason. Johnson's comments contradicted an earlier ESPN report that the Lakers could delay their free agency plans until the summer of 2019 when the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler are available.

The Lakers could potentially clear as much as US$70 million (AU$89 million) in cap space entering the NBA Free Agency 2018 period.

"I wouldn't have made the move (trade) if I wasn't confident. Still the same (confidence)... We have got to take the next step. I like our core. I love the way Julius (Randle) is playing right now; this is the best I have seen him play. But again, we're still on the outside looking in. No matter how good we've been playing, we're not in the playoffs, we are not one of the top eight teams in the West. That's just the bottom line. So I don't want to stay in this position. I want to have us be in the playoffs, and the only path to that is to add to the roster that we already have," Johnson said on Thursday (Friday AEDT) via ESPN.

NBA Free Agency 2018: Will Lakers land two stars?

Explaining his decision to trade Clarkson and Nance, Johnson said the team plans to contend for titles by next season. "I don't want to stay where we are. I don't want to be on the outside of the playoffs looking in. We have to take another step, right? So this move allows us to position ourselves to hopefully take that next step," said Johnson, a former five-time NBA champion and three-time Finals MVP.

The 2018 NBA Free Agency class will be headlined by the likes of LeBron James, Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul. The Lakers could potentially sign two of the aforementioned players to maximum-level contracts. With most of the teams in the NBA capped out entering the season, insiders believe the Lakers could execute their plan to perfection.

The young Lakers team has won eight of its last ten games and is trending in the right direction entering this month's NBA All-Star break. Will the Lakers add two max-level superstars to the core group of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma? Stay tuned for the latest Lakers Trade News and buzz surrounding the 2018 NBA Free Agency period which gets underway on July 1.