Greater than 36 hours into free company, the Los Angeles Lakers have but to make a significant transfer to enhance their roster.
That’s considerably stunning contemplating that main into free company on Sunday, it appeared that a number of components had been aligning for Los Angeles.
D’Angelo Russell opted into his $18.7 million contract, offering the Lakers an expiring mid-sized contract to make use of as an identical wage in a commerce. LeBron James supplied to take a pay lower for a difference-making nontaxpayer midlevel exception signing, together with gamers akin to Klay Thompson and Jonas Valančiūnas. And the backdrop coming into the free-agency interval was that rival groups made notable trades earlier within the week, indicating the commerce market could possibly be extra lively than anticipated regardless of the brand new punitive collective bargaining settlement restrictions.
Thompson, who was atop the want listing for James and the Lakers so far as practical targets for both the nontaxpayer midlevel exception or in a sign-and-trade, whittled down his listing of suitors to the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers, in accordance with league sources. On Monday afternoon, Thompson selected the Mavericks, agreeing to a three-year, $50 million contract in a three-team sign-and-trade between the Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets. Thompson spurned his hometown Lakers regardless of his longstanding ties to the franchise, together with rising up a Lakers and Kobe Bryant fan and his father, Mychal, enjoying for the Showtime Lakers from 1987 to 1991. Mychal Thompson received two championships with the Lakers and is at the moment the crew’s radio coloration commentator.
The second half of the Splash Brothers would’ve offered the Lakers with the kind of “laser” — considered one of LeBron’s phrases — that they’ve wanted within the LeBron James-Anthony Davis period. Regardless of slipping as a scorer and defender after lacking two seasons with ACL and Achilles accidents, the previous Warrior stays the most effective shooters within the league. When additionally factoring head coach JJ Redick’s experience as a shooter and need to extend Los Angeles’ 3-point quantity, Thompson would’ve been a dream match on offense.
On protection, there definitely would have been questions. Thompson is a great distance away from his former self, who earned an All-Defensive second-team nod in 2018-19 (and will’ve made one of many two groups a number of different years). The 34-year-old wing has grow to be extra ahead than guard and is now not able to slowing down the sport’s greatest perimeter scorers. The Lakers would’ve doubtless began him at small ahead, additional complicating their already shaky and restricted perimeter protection.
However with Thompson ending up in Dallas, the Lakers formally struck out with all three of the candidates James was reportedly prepared to take a pay lower for: Thompson, Valanciunas and James Harden (which all the time appeared like a stretch and was confirmed with him signing a contract with the LA Clippers for practically triple the nontaxpayer midlevel exception). That’s a troublesome search for a franchise that prides itself on being the league’s premier vacation spot and most star-friendly group.
After lacking out on Thompson, the Lakers shortly turned their consideration to a different James goal: free-agent wing DeMar DeRozan. Just like Thompson, DeRozan, 34, is each a possible non-taxpayer midlevel exception candidate and a sign-and-trade candidate for Los Angeles, in accordance with league sources. He’s one other participant whom James can be prepared to take much less for, league sources confirmed and ESPN first reported.
DeRozan is a 15-year veteran and six-time All-Star who is probably going leaving his present crew, the Chicago Bulls. He has deep Southern California ties as a Los Angeles native and USC alum, and has fondly mentioned the potential of enjoying for the Lakers lately. The Lakers pursued him in the summertime of 2021 earlier than deciding to commerce for Russell Westbrook as a substitute.
Would @DeMar_DeRozan ever think about enjoying for the #Lakers?
“You may’t by no means say no about enjoying residence…Time will inform, we’ll see the place the playing cards fall.” pic.twitter.com/IXnamokK64
— Run It Again (@RunItBackFDTV) May 15, 2024
DeRozan is an elite midrange scorer, clutch shot-maker and passer who would enhance the Lakers’ roster and be worth, significantly if he’s making lower than $20 million or so. On the identical time, DeRozan is a subpar 3-point shooter and defender, two expertise the Lakers want desperately round James and Davis. He hasn’t tried greater than three 3s per sport for the reason that 2017-18 season. He’s by no means shot above league common from deep, and he’s solely shot above 30 p.c in six of 15 seasons.
It’s not an ideal comparability, as they’re totally different gamers and positions, however there may be some overlap in how DeRozan’s limitations in capturing and protection might damage the Lakers like Westbrook did. Taking part in each a high-usage participant and non-floor-spacer isn’t a successful mixture, particularly when James and Davis are clearly higher offensive choices.
Like Thompson, DeRozan is extra ahead than guard at this stage of his profession. However he’s even worse defensively, theoretically creating extra issues for the Lakers on that finish of the ground. Los Angeles wants extra two-way gamers on its roster, and DeRozan merely isn’t one.
If something, DeRozan would take advantage of sense in a bench function, although it’s unclear if he would settle for such a task and if the Lakers would even need that contemplating the potential hoops they’ll have to leap by way of to amass him. At a minimal, DeRozan must modify to enjoying off the ball greater than he ever has in his profession, together with capturing extra 3s and discovering methods to be more practical as a screener and cutter.
Just like the Thompson sign-and-trade discussions, one of many present hold-ups in a possible DeRozan deal is what the Bulls can be receiving from the Lakers, in accordance with league sources. Outdoors of DeRozan, it’s unclear which gamers would attain the brink of prompting James to take a large pay lower. And if the Lakers are unable so as to add a notable participant with their exception, James is predicted to signal for the utmost, starting at north of $49 million for 2024-25.
At that time, the Lakers would solely be capable to make a transfer by making a commerce. (They might additionally technically salary-dump a participant or gamers after which signal a participant to a contract, relying on how a lot wage is outgoing.) James re-signing for the max appears to be the more than likely final result as of Tuesday morning.
The Lakers entered free company on Sunday with 13 gamers below contract after drafting Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 decide and Bronny James with the No. 55 decide. Proper earlier than free company began, they re-signed Max Christie to a four-year, $32 million contract, a wager on the 21-year-old 3-and-D wing’s potential. With James aspiring to re-sign, the Lakers’ roster is full, limiting their flexibility to boost the group with no commerce.
To signal a participant to the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, and even to a minimal contract, the Lakers must execute a consolidation commerce that creates an empty roster spot. Los Angeles might additionally purchase a participant in a sign-and-trade through two totally different situations: 1) a standard sign-and-trade straight with the participant’s crew or, 2) making a commerce exception by way of a separate commerce after which including the participant through the exception.
The Lakers are on this tough place, partly, due to three minimal signings final summer season — Christian Wooden, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish — which have backfired. They supplied all three participant choices for this season as a technique to entice them to signal. However all three gamers opted in, a transparent signal of their lack of a market. One of many bigs will doubtless be the backup middle behind Davis, at the least primarily based on the present roster. However at the least two of these gamers can be sitting and amassing mud subsequent season. (Beneath the brand new guidelines, the Lakers can’t embody a number of minimal contracts in the identical commerce.)
It’s too early to put in writing the Lakers off, in fact. There’s all the time an opportunity they pull a rabbit out of a hat with a commerce or signing. They’ve been lively in latest days, discussing potential offers with Portland, Brooklyn and Utah, amongst different groups, in accordance with league and crew sources. Vp of basketball operations and basic supervisor Rob Pelinka tends to function within the shadows — extra so this summer season than ever, in accordance with league sources. It’s definitely doable he has a contingency plan that saves the offseason.
However the Lakers are operating out of time. Free brokers are flying off the board. Groups are making strikes that may tie up their cap house and make it tougher to commerce. James desires to have his contract scenario resolved by the beginning of the Crew USA Olympics apply on Saturday in Las Vegas. That’s an unofficial deadline for Los Angeles, at the least on the free-agency entrance.
It’s reaching the purpose the place the Lakers must do one thing — and before later.
(Picture of DeMar DeRozan: Michael Reaves / Getty Photos)