The Los Angeles Lakers were very active ahead of the trade deadline. They made a massive move, landing Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade and then closing out the window with the addition of Mark Williams. Many feel that the Lakers are a genuine contender in the Western Conference now.
However, they still have a roster spot open and can sign one more player. With the trade market now ending, several NBA players have been bought out or will be bought out in the weeks to come, making them free agents.
With the Lakers being over the first apron of the salary cap, they can only sign players who made less than $12.8 million as allocated in the mid-level exception.
This includes some of the prominent buyout candidates like Ben Simmons, Bruce Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, and Bojan Bogdanovic, who make significantly more money than the allotted $12.8 million.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers aren’t going to be very active in the buyout market. They will be patient, but they do have their eyes set on signing a shooting guard to improve the team’s perimeter scoring.
“No news, other than the Lakers are going to be patient and they’re looking for a shooting guard.”
One can believe that the Lakers might also look to add depth at the center position, as new arrival Mark Williams only has Jaxson Hayes as a backup, along with Christian Koloko, who is on a two-way contract.
With the amount of restrictions placed on them due to the apron rules according to the salary cap, along with the limited and expected candidates in the buyout market, we came up with a list of some strong candidates that the Lakers could target in the buyout market.
Seth Curry
Stats: 5.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.1 blocks, 47.4% FG, 45.1% 3-PT, 88.9% FT
While he might not be the Curry that fans want to see playing with LeBron James, Seth Curry can be a useful player for the Lakers. He currently plays for the Charlotte Hornets, where he has regained his shooting edge after a disappointing last season.
Should the Hornets decide to buy out his $3.3 million contract, the Lakers might take him on to bolster their three-point shooting as a team, especially as they traded Dalton Knecht to the Hornets, who now have a younger, more active three-point shooter in place of Knecht.
Daniel Theis
Stats: 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 47.3% FG, 24.3% 3-PT, 83.8% FT
Daniel Theis was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the franchise has decided to waive him as he doesn’t fit their team. Theis, who turns 33 this year, is still young enough to contribute at a decent level. And with the Lakers lacking depth at the center position, he could come in and play some decent minutes.
After being waived, Theis is a free agent who could be picked up by the Lakers on the waivers. He was making just $2.8 million on his last contract, which means he is easily eligible to sign for the Lakers should Rob Pelinka think he can provide some valuable minutes to them as a backup big.
Josh Richardson
Stats: 4.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.1 blocks, 28.9% FG, 27.3% 3-PT, 100.0% FT
Josh Richardson was traded to the Utah Jazz as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. The Jazz expectedly waived Richardson, as they didn’t see him as part of their rebuild. As such, he is now a free agent who will be looking for a new team in the coming weeks. Could the Lakers be in his future? Richardson was making $3 million before getting waived, so he definitely is eligible.
Richardson’s shooting numbers don’t necessarily inspire confidence, especially considering that the Lakers are reportedly staying patient when it comes to acquiring new players. But if Pelinka wants to take a chance on a trusted veteran, he might be the player that the Lakers could bring in to provide additional perimeter scoring.
Reggie Jackson
Stats: 4.4 points, 1.5 assists, 1.4 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 0.1 blocks, 39.1% FG, 33.8% 3-PT, 77.8 FT.
Reggie Jackson was traded to and subsequently waived by the Washington Wizards. After a less-than-stellar sting with the Philadelphia 76ers, Jackson finds himself without a team now. But he could find a new team very soon, and contribute at a high level like he did with the Denver Nuggets. He was making $3.3 million with the 76ers, so he falls under the threshold for the exception.
Jackson has shown that he can play championship-level basketball as a role player. Would the Lakers look at his history and think that they should give him a shot? It is possible, but it would be a tough sell for Rob Pelinka given the numbers he is putting up this season. Perhaps he can convince the Lakers that his time with the 76ers was an outlier, and he can be a trusted scoring option off the bench for them.
Chris Boucher
Stats: 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.6 blocks, 50.6% FG, 37.5% 3-PT, 78.8% FT
Chris Boucher is still playing decent minutes on the Raptors while making $10.8 million in the final year of his contract. According to the league’s apron rules, he is just about eligible to sign for the Lakers should he and the Raptors agree to a buyout in the coming days. But that is a big if.
The Lakers would definitely be interested should Boucher be available. Big men of his quality are not easily available, let alone on the buyout market. As such, if the Lakers are able to get their hands on him, they will do so with minimum hesitation. But his availability has some big questions.
Gary Harris
Stats: 3.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks, 39.5% FG, 34.9% 3-PT, 50.0% FT
Gary Harris could be a major name in the buyout market in the coming days. He has seen his role on the Orlando Magic reduce significantly over the last few years. And with the franchise looking to compete in the Eastern Conference for years to come, they could see him being a player they can discard ahead of the summer.
Should they part ways with Harris, he should be an option the Lakers at least consider. His size, combined with his ability to shoot the ball could make him a valuable addition to JJ Redick’s roster. On top of that, his $7.5 million salary also means he is eligible to be signed by the Lakers.
Lonnie Walker IV
Stats (LKL – Lithuania): 13.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, 54.1% FG, 54.3% 3-PT, 71.4% FT
Lonnie Walker IV signed a contract with the Boston Celtics ahead of the preseason but was waived before the season started. Since then, he has been playing with Zalgiris Kaunas in the Lithuanian Basketball League. However, if a chance presents itself for him to return to the NBA, you presume he will take it.
Would a reunion with the Lakers be the right idea? He last played for them during the 2022-23 NBA season and did well. However, he chose to sign with the Brooklyn Nets the following season.
Should the Lakers decide they want to bring him back, given how he is shooting from deep, they will have to act within the next 11 days, as he has a clause in his contract worth $450,000 that allows him to return to the NBA. However, that clause is valid till February 18th, after which it becomes invalid.
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