The Lakers have been relatively quiet through the first 24 hours of free agency. Could a big splash be brewing?
Los Angeles entered the bidding for Klay Thompson, but the Lakers were outbid by the Mavericks, who signed the former Warriors star to a three-year, $50 million contract.
Still, there are plenty of big names available, so the Lakers could go for another player. Here’s a list of their top options as free agency continues.
NBA FREE AGENCY: Transfer Tracker | Ranking of the 50 best free agents | The most dormant players of free agency
Ranking the Lakers’ top free agents in 2024
1. LeBron James
James opted not to exercise his $51.4 million player option, making him an unrestricted free agent. He’ll likely return, but at what price?
James has previously indicated he would be willing to take a pay cut to bring in a player like Thompson or DeMar DeRozan. by ESPN’s Dave McMenaminThat would open up the $13 million mid-level exception to add a player.
If a top-tier free agent isn’t available, then LeBron is expected to get a deal that pays him around $50 million annually. That would also limit the Lakers to just the taxpayers’ mid-level exception of $5 million to bring in outside talent.
2. DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan remains among the league’s top 30 players. He is one of the game’s best isolation scorers and finished second to Warriors star Stephen Curry in the 2024 Player of the Year voting.
The fit may be a bit awkward given that DeRozan doesn’t shoot many 3s and Anthony Davis isn’t typically a shooter either, but DeRozan is the most talented free agent left.
Would DeRozan be willing to take a massive pay cut? He was underpaid last season at $28.6 million. The Lakers could only offer him that $13 million mid-level exception, or they could try to work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Bulls that might require a third team to pick up some money. But that kind of deal could cost them some of their few remaining valuable draft assets. They have first-round picks in 2029 and 2031 available to trade, along with recently selected Dalton Knecht.
3. Gordon Hayward
Hayward had a disastrous second half of the season after being acquired by the Thunder, failing to break into the rotation and looking timid when he did play. Sam Presti admitted at the end of the season that it was a mistake to sign him.
That result was surprising given that Hayward was playing well in Charlotte before the trade, averaging 14.5 points per game and contributing solid defense. At 34 and after an injury-plagued career, he’s nowhere near the guy he was 10 years ago. But he’s a 37.0% 3-point shooter who can do a little bit of everything.
Hayward is worth a pittance based on his abysmal play this season. He may be completely washed up, but he would definitely be worth a gamble at a price close to the minimum.
4. Dario Saric
New Lakers coach JJ Redick has expressed a desire to play his big men more and shoot more 3-pointers. Saric does both well. He made 37.6 percent of his 3-point attempts with the Warriors last season, and his 2.3 assist average is a good number for the small-ball five role he has adopted later in his career.
Saric signed a one-year minimum deal last summer, so it’s very likely Los Angeles will land him.
5. Simone Fontecchio
Fontecchio may not be a hugely popular player, but he played well with the Jazz before being traded to the Pistons midseason. He’s a restricted free agent, so there will be some competition to retain the 28-year-old forward.
Fontecchio has proven to be a good shooter in the NBA, hitting 37.5 percent of his three-pointers in his two seasons in the league. He’s a smart player who can provide some offense off the bench and give the Lakers more depth at the small forward position.
The best of the rest: Miles Bridges, Gary Trent Jr., Tyus Jones, Caleb Martin, Gary Payton II, Gary Harris, Haywood Highsmith and Shake Milton
