The Lakers‘ options on the free agent market this week will likely be limited, since the team will only be able to offer the $6.5MM taxpayer mid-level exception or a minimum-salary contract to potential targets. However, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes, the team will still aim high, hoping to sell players on the opportunity to start and the ability to increase their stock with a strong year in Los Angeles, like Malik Monk did in 2021/22.
According to Buha, youth, length, athleticism, and shooting are among the traits the Lakers will be prioritizing. Two-way wings who could come in and potentially start alongside Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook will be a priority, sources tell The Athletic.
Here are some details on the types of players the Lakers will be eyeing in free agency:
- Otto Porter Jr., Nicolas Batum, Gary Harris, T.J. Warren, Caleb Martin, Cody Martin, and Danuel House are among the wings the Lakers will target using their full taxpayer mid-level exception, sources tell Buha. Big man Mohamed Bamba is also on the team’s radar as a possible TMLE option, Buha adds.
- The Lakers have “strong interest” in bringing back Monk, but that will depend both on his market and on the quality of players available to the club for the taxpayer mid-level, says Buha. The team would likely have to use the MLE to sign Monk, since it can otherwise only offer him a deal worth about $2.6MM.
- Jeremy Lamb, Nemanja Bjelica, Jevon Carter, and Juan Toscano-Anderson are among the players that will receive interest from the Lakers for either a portion of the mid-level or a minimum-salary deal, Buha writes.
- Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times identify Thomas Bryant and Damian Jones as centers who could draw interest from the Lakers. Woike and Turner also say that some rival executives believe Bulls guard Coby White could be a target for L.A.
Porter and Batum are pipe dreams for the Lakers. It will take all of the Lakers’ MLE to get Gary Harris or Mo Bamba. There will be teams that offer those guys more $ in free agency. That being said, Bron and AD are the only two Lakers with guaranteed starting spots. Bamba or Harris, with the promise of a starting role, could find that situation appealing.
Lamb, Bjelica, Carter, Toscano all make sense as depth signings, but aren’t going to move the needle. Lakers still look like a team battling for the back end of the Western Conference playoffs. That’s not going to change unless they dangle 1st round draft picks to get off Westbrook’s contract, which they won’t … and they shouldn’t at this point.
Out of all those names you give Monk all of the money and try to squeeze in DJones.
Why would anyone want to go to the Lakers right now? There are 20 other teams that made the play in tournament last year that could give at least 1 player the same or more money!
Monk will sign somewhere else. He is saying all the right things but no way he gives up the money.
This is all just repeating the article.
There is not much to say about the Lakers but posters still want to say it!
Hah you’re not wrong but isn’t that all the comments here? It’s all speculation.