In the midst of the glare of the spotlight on the Lakers’ freshest talents, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, their grand introduction to the press was inundated with queries regarding free agency. All eyes on the Lakers as they have recently secured the services of Max Christie and opted for player options pickups on D’Angelo Russell, Jaxson Hayes, and Cam Reddish. With the team’s roster boasting 14 guaranteed contracts and no visible moves made, General Manager Rob Pelinka stepped in to shed some light on the team’s seemingly sluggish start to the offseason.
When pressed on ways to enhance the team’s lineup, Pelinka reaffirmed that the Lakers would persist in being aggressive in making the necessary adjustments. Currently, the Lakers have most of their core players back, with the notable exception of LeBron James. The players James had been willing to take pay cuts for have all decided on their future destinations. James Harden remains with the Clippers, Jonas Valanciunas departed the Pelicans for the Wizards, and Klay Thompson, son of former Showtime Laker Mychal Thompson, famously chose the Dallas Mavericks over the Warriors. This leaves the purple and gold in a bit of a bind in terms of upgrading their roster.
It is worth mentioning that the Lakers had a chance to acquire Thompson, offering more money and years on his contract. They even attempted to send Russell back to the Warriors via sign-and-trade. However, Thompson opted for Dallas due to their status as title contenders and the absence of state income taxes, teaming up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving rather than LeBron and Anthony Davis.
As things stand, the Lakers have been rumored to be eyeing DeMar DeRozan as a possible alternative to Thompson. Given DeRozan’s dissatisfaction with the Bulls, a move to LA could be on the cards. Despite being 34 years old and not the most proficient three-point shooter, DeRozan continues to deliver impressive performances, especially in clutch situations—an area the Lakers have struggled in outside of LeBron and AD. Whether he would be open to accepting LA’s Mid-Level Exception and if Chicago would entertain a sign-and-trade involving Russell or Rui Hachimura remains uncertain.
Apart from the DeRozan speculation, the Lakers are reportedly engaged in trade discussions with the Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Nets. This development isn’t entirely unexpected, considering the longstanding connections the team has with players on those rosters. While they may not be the flashiest names, acquiring someone like Jerami Grant, Collin Sexton, Cam Johnson, or Dorian Finney-Smith could provide the Lakers with much-needed boosts. It’s a more pragmatic approach than solely depending on signing LeBron to a max contract and hoping for a miraculous turnaround this season.
