The Los Angeles Lakers are desperate to make improvements this summer and there’s still a number of options they are likely to consider. According to NBA insider Brian Lewis, GM Rob Pelinka is targeting Nets swingman Cam Johnson as a consultation prize after missing out on the top free agents.
“His size (6-foot-8), age and shooting ability combine to make Johnson valuable. Only 10 NBA players 6-7 or taller averaged more than his 2.4 made 3-pointers last season,” wrote Lewis. “While the Kings, Magic and Lakers are interested, one recent report claimed the Spurs, Raptors or Warriors could be a ‘dark horse’.”
The 28-year-old swingman hasn’t been made publicly available but the thinking is that the Nets are willing to listen to offers after trading away their franchise star, Mikal Bridges. Cam averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game last season.
If not Johnson, then the Lakers could look to acquire Bruce Brown, a quality wing player who can hold his own on both ends of the floor.
“The Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are two teams that showed interest in Brown last season, sources said, and Los Angeles maintains interest in him this offseason,” wrote NBA insider Brett Siegel. “One team whispered to have interest in Brown and was quietly mentioned as a possible suitor months ago is the Golden State Warriors. While unlikely to occur, the Warriors have the ability to move Andrew Wiggins, who is making more than $26 million this season, in a package from Toronto that includes Brown and other assets. This would open up more financial flexibility for the Dubs moving forward.”
Bruce Brown is an NBA champion and that experience could be a major boost in the Lakers’ rotation. For a team that lacks star power, the Lakers can still make up ground against their competitors by building up their supporting cast.
Off the bench, Brown could provide crucial two-way play on the perimeter and he could join closing lineups for his ability to guard almost every position. The same could be said for Johnson, who is widely viewed as one of the top two-way wings in the game.
Whether it’s Bruce or Cam or some other mid-level player, the Lakers are determined to keep searching for upgrades to their roster. Even at 39 years old, LeBron James is the best basketball player in the Olympics and the Lakers owe it to him to assemble a team that can be competitive in the Western Conference.
Of course, Anthony Davis will also be key to their success, and after averaging 24.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game last season he’ll be coming in with big expectations to lead this Lakers team.
Regardless of the star, however, the franchise will go nowhere if they don’t have support and depth has been an especially weak aspect of the current Lakers administration. From D’Angelo Russell to Rui Hachimura and Cam Reddish, the Lakers role-players were wildly inconsistent last season and it cost them when the stakes were highest.
If Pelinka is able to replace some of those guys with proven and more consistent role-players (like Johnson or Brown) it could vault them into contender status next season. one thing they can’t afford to do is nothing and that’s why they are trying everything they can to make a trade before the start of training camp in a few months.
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