The Los Angeles Lakers will be looking to make win-now moves this offseason, especially with the NBA Draft one day ago. The team has the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and is going to convey next year’s pick to the Pelicans, adding pressure on the franchise to make a big move this season to guarantee they don’t hand New Orleans another lottery pick from the Anthony Davis trade five years ago.
The franchise has reportedly targeted Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, and Jazz guard Collin Sexton. All three players fill crucial holes for the Lakers.
Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported about the Lakers’ growing interest in Jerami Grant.
“Los Angeles has also made that No. 17 selection available via trade, sources said, as the Lakers have evaluated the market for a significant contributor alongside James and Davis…Jerami Grant, a client of Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, is believed to be another potential addition on the Lakers’ wishlist, according to league sources.”
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony claims the Lakers have floated sending the No. 17 pick to the Jazz for Sexton or to the Hawks for Murray.
“The Lakers likely will explore the trade market to see what type of veterans they can add to give LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and new coach JJ Redick the best chance of competing this season, with NBA names such as Dejounte Murray and Collin Sexton being batted around by rival teams as possible targets.”
Grant would provide a big boost to the Lakers frontcourt, with his positional versatility meaning he can be played either as the three or the four next to LeBron James. Along with the No. 17 pick, players such as Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent would likely be headed to Portland to make the salaries match. Grant averaged 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists last season.
Murray has been a Lakers target since last season, with the Hawks expected to move on from either him or Trae Young this offseason. He averaged 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.4 assists last season, with the Lakers hoping a deal centered around Hachimura instead of D’Angelo Russell does the trick.
Sexton has been linked with the Lakers occasionally. He would be a natural replacement for free agent D’Angelo Russell with his scoring ability, averaging 18.7 points and 4.9 assists on 39.4% from three last season. He is a combo guard as well, allowing him to play interchangeably with Austin Reaves or off-ball when LeBron James is creating offense as a ball-handler.
The Lakers Have Deep Offseason Plans
There’s a lot of pressure on the Lakers to improve their roster this summer, especially after the team named JJ Redick as their new head coach. They could target win-now players like Tristan Da Silva or Zach Edey in the Draft, but they can’t afford another misstep like selecting Jalen Hood-Schifino last season. If they can trade the pick for a proven commodity, it might be a better result for the team.
Outside the potential acquisition of Murray, Grant, or Sexton, the Lakers are making plans for free agency as well. Pelicans big man Jonas Valuncuinas has emerged as a target for the Lakers provided no team outbids the Lakers who can’t offer more than the tax mid-level exception, which comes out to around $5 million annually. Valuncuinas averaged 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists this season.
They’ll need to prioritize the D’Angelo Russell free agency. Despite Russell’s inconsistencies all year, he was a 40%+ shooter for the Lakers from three and proved his value through the latter half of the regular season. Given his troubles co-existing with Darvin Ham, Russell could find a reason to return to LA and hope for a better time under JJ Redick.
The franchise can’t afford to commit halfway to another season. The Lakers need to get better and maximize what could be the final season we see of LeBron playing at an All-NBA level, given the preparations they’ve made to hand the keys of the franchise to Anthony Davis.
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