After a very exciting season that saw the Los Angeles Lakers finish third in the Western Conference, it all came crashing down with a first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. That series exposed all of the weaknesses that the Lakers possessed and gave them a blueprint of what needed to be fixed this offseason.
While much has been made about the trade market and premier players that the Lakers could go after, there are a handful of soon-to-be free agents who would not cost the Lakers any tradeable assets and could be great additions to the roster.
Let’s take a look at some of those, shall we?
Now, there are a bevvy of top-tier players who have player options (including LeBron James), but for this article, let’s just focus on the current unrestricted free agents.
3 Free Agent Targets For The Los Angeles Lakers
Myles Turner, C, Indiana Pacers
The Lakers’ biggest need is blatantly obvious. They need a center.
Myles Turner is going to be one of the hottest commodities come this offseason. His Indiana Pacers are currently in a battle with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, so he will be wanted by just about every team with a need, including his own.
There were rumors during the season that the Lakers were in talks to trade for Turner, and now they could have an opportunity to add him simply by coaxing him to move to LA.
This season, he has averaged 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds. He is still just 29 years old, so he has plenty of tread left, but he will demand a pretty hefty contract. His past contract averaged roughly $20 million per year. You can expect his next one to be more.
Brook Lopez, C, Milwaukee Bucks
Brook Lopez is 37 years old, but is still playing at a really high level. He averaged over 31 minutes per game during the regular season and garnered 13 points and 5 rebounds.
Obviously, Lopez would not be a long-term option, but if someone like Turner became too expensive, he would give the Lakers a starting-quality center for the next year or two while they figured out a long-term solution.
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He has played in over 78 regular-season games over the past three seasons, demonstrating his ability to stay healthy. He would also give the Lakers a great defensive player and rim protector, something they severely lacked against the Timberwolves.
Clint Capela, C, Atlanta Hawks
Let’s just stick with the center position since that is the only real glaring need for this team (at least in terms of spending a good amount of cash).
Clint Capela would be the last option for the Lakers in free agency, in my opinion, if the above two did not happen. After Capela, they should dip their toe back into the trade market.
At 31 years old, Capela averaged 8.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season. He would not add an offensive dimension to the Lakers’ frontcourt, but they would not need that with Luka Doncic and LeBron James (hopefully) leading the way.
What he would bring is elite defense and rim protection. While he averaged 8.5 rebounds per game, 3.2 of those came in the offensive end. If the Lakers are able to extend offensive chances, that will certainly help their title chances.
Capela earned nearly $23 million per year over his last contract. He will likely still cost close to that same ballpark, and he brings with him a career of injury history. He has never once played an entire 82 games, and only played more than 70 three times, finishing with just 55 games played last season.
Thoughts on any of these, Lakers Nation? Comment below?