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 have 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 provided to take a pay minimize for a difference-making nontaxpayer midlevel exception signing, together with gamers akin to Klay Thompson and Jonas Valančiūnas. And the backdrop getting into the free-agency interval was that rival groups made notable trades earlier within the week, indicating the commerce market could possibly be extra energetic 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, based on 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 gained two championships with the Lakers and is at the moment the staff’s radio colour commentator.
The second half of the Splash Brothers would’ve supplied the Lakers with the kind of “laser” — one in all 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 among the finest shooters within the league. When additionally factoring head coach JJ Redick’s experience as a shooter and want to extend Los Angeles’ 3-point quantity, Thompson would’ve been a dream match on offense.
On protection, there actually would have been questions. Thompson is a good 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 not able to slowing down the sport’s greatest perimeter scorers. The Lakers would’ve possible 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 keen to take a pay minimize 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 tricky 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 rapidly 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, based on league sources. He’s one other participant whom James could be keen 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 staff, 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 take into account 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) Might 15, 2024
DeRozan is an elite midrange scorer, clutch shot-maker and a great passer who would enhance the Lakers’ roster and be a great 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 abilities the Lakers want desperately round James and Davis. He hasn’t tried greater than three 3s per recreation 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 may harm 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 just isn’t one.
If something, DeRozan would take advantage of sense in a bench position, although it’s unclear if he would settle for such a job and if the Lakers would even need that contemplating the potential hoops they’ll have to leap by to accumulate 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 could be receiving from the Lakers, based on league sources. Exterior of DeRozan, it’s unclear which gamers would attain the brink of prompting James to take a large pay minimize. 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 of 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 probably end 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 guess on the 21-year-old 3-and-D wing’s potential. With James desiring to re-sign, the Lakers’ roster is full, limiting their flexibility to reinforce the group with out a 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 may additionally purchase a participant in a sign-and-trade by way of two totally different eventualities: 1) a standard sign-and-trade instantly with the participant’s staff or, 2) making a commerce exception by a separate commerce after which including the participant by way of the exception.
The Lakers are on this troublesome place, partially, due to three minimal signings final summer time — Christian Wooden, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish — which have backfired. They provided 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 possible be the backup middle behind Davis, at the very least primarily based on the present roster. However at the very least two of these gamers might be sitting and gathering 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 write down 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 energetic in latest days, discussing potential offers with Portland, Brooklyn and Utah, amongst different groups, based on league and staff sources. Vice chairman of basketball operations and normal supervisor Rob Pelinka tends to function within the shadows — extra so this summer time than ever, based on league sources. It’s actually doable he has a contingency plan that saves the offseason.
However the Lakers are working out of time. Free brokers are flying off the board. Groups are making strikes that may tie up their cap area and make it tougher to commerce. James desires to have his contract state of affairs resolved by the beginning of the Group USA Olympics follow on Saturday in Las Vegas. That’s an unofficial deadline for Los Angeles, at the very least on the free-agency entrance.
It’s reaching the purpose the place the Lakers have to do one thing — and prior to later.
(Photograph of DeMar DeRozan: Michael Reaves / Getty Photographs)
