Jim Buss, executive vice president of the Los Angeles Lakers, spoke about the franchise's 2014 free agency plans on Wednesday, one day before a report from ESPN indicated their potential interest in LeBron James during that offseason.

"We purposely ended all contracts that year," Buss said of 2014. "I can't talk about Kobe (Bryant), but this is what he signed till. So basically we put everything to that, and we want to make a big splash in the free-agent market if we get to that spot. So we designed the contracts and the players and our future all around that."

The Lakers envision adding new pieces to a core of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in 2014.

"Yeah, depending on the free agents that year," Buss said. "We would basically, money-wise, be able to sign the top free agent – maybe even two. I don't know the numbers exactly, because we're not privy to what the cap is and how much room we have, but it's going to be close to two of the top free agents that year."

Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony could also be free agents in 2014.

Buss said the prospect of planning ahead beyond the final two seasons of Kobe Bryant's contract was "a little scary" until the Lakers acquired Howard.

"Because if we don't win championships (in 2013 and '14), we basically failed," Buss said. "But with Dwight hopefully wanting to stay with the Lakers, we feel our horizon is bright."

Howard will be just 28 in 2014.

"With Dwight Howard now, the future's so bright," Buss said. "If he re-signs with us, the future is so bright that now we can start looking into the three, four or five years from now and say, 'OK, we're again going toward championships.' "

