When Pep Guardiola, one of soccer's most coveted managers, signed as coach of English club Manchester City in January 2016, the deal had been a work in progress for four years. Other than the material attraction of the club, a 55,000-seater stadium and state-of-the-art academy, City's strongest offensive to lure Guardiola was through recruitment. City transformed itself from alien to familiar for Guardiola, and that may well be the approach the Lakers are looking to take as L.A. also tries to pull off one of the most sensational signings in sports.