The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the most active teams in the league this offseason. After a flurry of moves within the first few days of free agency, the Purple and Gold have created a fairly formidable roster. Still, it can be argued that L.A. needs more.
The Western Conference remains incredibly competitive. Now, following major shifts across the league and LeBron James’ departure from Los Angeles, the Lakers must make the necessary additions to improve their chances of competing.
On that note, Lakers insider Jovan Buha discussed some possible additions the Purple and Gold could make this summer. While weighing different trade and free agent options, Buha mentioned six players who could be on L.A.’s radar. Keeping Buha’s suggestions in mind, we explore the Lakers’ chances of landing these players.
Jonathan Kuminga
One player who has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers over the past week is free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga (12.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.3 APG).
After the Atlanta Hawks declined his $24.3 million team option, Kuminga found himself drawing interest from several teams on the market. While shedding light on L.A.’s chances of signing the 23-year-old, Buha shared:
“I would say it’s more likely than not as of right now. I would say, like, 55%. I think the ball’s in the Lakers’ court in terms of whether they up the price for Kuminga to agree to the sign-and-trade or up the price.”
“I think there are a couple of things going on where Kuminga doesn’t like the contract offer, and the Hawks don’t like the draft capital offer from the Lakers. If they ramp up both of those and they get to a certain desperation for Kuminga, I think Kuminga will happen.”
“I think the Lakers can make this happen. It’s just going to require probably more money than they currently want to give up and more draft capital than they currently want to give up.”
L.A.’s pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga has been particularly intriguing. Current reports indicate that the Purple and Gold have offered him a two-year, $20 million deal, along with a spot in the starting lineup as part of their deal. While promising, it appears that the Hawks are leaning toward a sign-and-trade.
A sign-and-trade route would be less than favorable since L.A. lacks the draft assets to form a convincing package. Although an offer of Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, and two second-round picks would suffice, losing more draft capital could leave the Lakers vulnerable.
Hence, signing Kuminga as a free agent may be the best alternative, though it may require them to raise their offer.
Peyton Watson
Restricted free agent forward Peyton Watson (14.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG) has been one of the noteworthy figures on the market. Although the Lakers have shown an interest in him, the Nuggets‘ inclination to match any offer presented for him could be an obstacle.
When speaking about Watson as a potential target for the Lakers, Buha stated:
“Technically, yes, they could still get Watson, but it would require dumping a ton of money, getting into the mid-20s in cap space, making that offer, and Denver either not matching that offer or agreeing to a sign-and-trade. The limitation is that, if you’re using draft capital to get off some of these assets, Denver’s going to want draft capital in a sign-and-trade.”
“So, I would say Watson is highly unlikely at this point due to L.A.’s limited draft capital and limited means to create meaningful cap space.”
Buha’s insight seems to hold in Watson’s case. Given that the 23-year-old is eyeing a contract extension worth $25 million annually, neither the Nuggets nor the Lakers has the flexibility to extend such an offer. Although Denver is willing to engage in a sign-and-trade deal for Peyton Watson, the Lakers do not have the assets (draft capital) to make such a deal.
They could create some cap space by waiving players like Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht, but it may not be enough to sign Watson.
Derrick Jones Jr.
Although he hasn’t generated much buzz, Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (10.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.0 BPG) could be viewed as an intriguing offseason target for the Lakers. As a veteran with tremendous athletic ability and two-way upside, Jones possesses the perfect tools to fit in Los Angeles’ rotation.
Unlike the first two names on the list, Jones is on a $10.4 million expiring contract with the Clippers, implying that the Lakers would have to facilitate a trade to acquire him. However, Buha wasn’t very convinced of L.A.’s chances of adding him despite the Clippers signing Rui Hachimura. He commented:
“They obviously negotiated on the Rui sign-and-trade possibility, and that didn’t go anywhere because the Clippers weren’t willing to put in draft capital… I think it’s an overall smart front office, and I think they would value DJJ at a certain level. I don’t think they’re going to just give him away, and I think they’re not just going to give him away to the Lakers.”
“I think they would play hardball. I would assume any DJJ trade would probably require all three seconds and require Vando not being in it.”
Buha mentioned that a “simple” trade package would include Jaden Hardy, Dalton Knecht, and the Lakers’ three second-round picks for Derrick Jones Jr. Although this could be viewed as a fair trade, if the Clippers view Jones as a long-term piece, there is virtually no chance for the Purple and Gold to pry him away.
Max Strus
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Max Strus (11.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.0 APG) could also be a promising trade target for Los Angeles this summer. Given Cleveland’s salary cap concerns and their desire to create more flexibility to land LeBron James, the Cavs are reportedly willing to shop Strus’ $16.6 million contract.
Given what he brings to the table, Strus could be a terrific addition for the team. While pondering the possibility of acquiring him, Buha added:
“Max Strus is making $16.7 million expiring. So fitting in Strus, you would have to send out you would have to send out either Vando or some combination of Hardy or LaRavia as the base, and then like, DK (Knecht), and it would have to be Hardy plus DK, Jake plus DK, or Hardy plus Jake. One of those three two-man combinations would have to go out for Strus.”
Realistically, a trade offer of Hardy and Jake LaRavia, along with two second-round picks, would be sufficient to acquire Strus. Cleveland may also view this favorably, as it allows them to shed $4.6 million in salary.
But considering the amount of money they need to offload, the Cavs may see more intrigue in a deal that allows them to gain a larger trade exception. Since the Lakers can’t necessarily absorb Strus’ contract, they would be forced to waive and stretch some players to create enough cap room.
PJ Washington
The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to the Dallas Mavericks in trade talks involving Daniel Gafford. However, with Gafford off the table, the possibility of acquiring PJ Washington (14.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 1.1 BPG) has also been floated.
For the most part, adding Washington may not seem reasonable because of the role he plays in Dallas’ rotation. As he was contemplating the move, however, Jovan Buha shared:
“If you’re Rob Pelinka and your job is dependent on this, and you need to try to get to the level of San Antonio or OKC, from that perspective, through that lens, it’s a no-brainer to trade Adou for PJ if you’re trying to balance out like the long-term health of the roster and balance both the future and the present.”
Much of Buha’s comments on PJ Washington were based on the notion of packaging Adou Thiero and draft capital for the Mavericks’ forward. Although the insider stated that having Thiero reach Washington’s level as a player would be largely positive, given the team’s urgency to win now, it may be necessary to pull the trigger on a trade.
Realistically, it may not be feasible to acquire Washington by packaging just Thiero and draft picks. However, packaging all the second-rounders wouldn’t be plausible for the Lakers either.
From L.A.’s perspective, the best offer would involve Thiero, LaRavia, and a second-round pick for Washington. Unfortunately, Dallas may not be too interested unless a first-round pick is included in the deal.
Nick Richards
Another intriguing name floated as a target was free agent center Nick Richards (5.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.7 BPG). Having generated some interest from teams recently, Richards finds himself in a position to sign a new contract soon. With the Lakers on the lookout for a viable big man, he could be a promising addition.
On paper, Richards possesses all the necessary tools to make him a solid fit with the Lakers’ big man rotation. When weighing the notion of L.A. signing the 28-year-old big man, Buha noted:
“You could also go after Nick Richards, and you could pay him more than a minimum. If he’s getting some offers from other teams, you could be like, ‘Hey, here’s an extra million dollars for a one-year deal.’… You can make above minimum bids for guys, but you can also have openings for guys.”
It is worth noting that Buha’s suggestion of signing Richards was in the context of the Lakers clearing enough cap space (roughly $25 million) to sign Kuminga.
In the current context, the Lakers’ payroll is already $198.1 million after signing Kevon Looney on a minimum deal, leaving them $9.9 million under the first apron. Although they could still shed some salary and sign Kuminga, offering Richards a contract greater than the veteran minimum does not seem feasible.
On the off-chance that the Lakers give up on Kuminga, pursuing Richards seems like a worthwhile endeavor, primarily because of L.A.’s need for reliable centers. In this regard, a one-year deal worth $5 million should be more than convincing.
