In a recent episode of the ‘Road Trippin’ podcast, former NBA swingman Richard Jefferson gave his candid take on the Lakers’ 2024 offseason. According to Jefferson, losing out on Klay Thompson, who signed with the Mavericks this summer, was a major blow to their chances to contend next season.
“LeBron’s a point guard, he led the league in assists, he’s top five all time,” Jefferson said. “If you told Bron he’s just got to be the point guard and distribute to Anthony Davis, to bucket getters. That’s why Klay was so enticing because Klay wouldn’t have to work as hard. That mother f—er could stand right there, there would be this huge gap on the court and you can’t leave him. That dude could be out there in a wheelchair on crutches and you can’t leave him, so that’s why he was so important.”
LeBron, 39, still has a few years left in the NBA and intends to play them out on a competitive Lakers team alongside his son. Now that Bronny is in uniform, the focus has shifted to building a proper contender but the task is proving difficult since Klay Thompson was their big target.
The Warriors legend averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game on 43.2% shooting last season. After two major injuries, the 34-year-old expert marksman is no longer the player he once was. In his prime, Klay was an elite two-way player who was nearly as dangerous from three as his former teammate and co-star, Stephen Curry.
Thompson’s efficiency and effectiveness on defense have gone on a major decline of late but he’s still a valuable shooter based on reputation alone. With 2,481 three-pointers made in his career, Klay will always be a threat from deep. His mere presence on the court puts pressure on the defense and creates space for his teammates to operate.
The Lakers came into this summer with big ambitions and LeBron James was even willing to take a pay cut so they could attract top-tier talent. A 4x champion like Klay would have certainly fit the bill and he would have raised their ceiling substantially in the West next season.
While the Lakers were among the short list of teams being considered by Thompson, he chose the Mavericks in the end due to wanting to get away from the chaos and bright light of Southern California.
GM Rob Pelinka has been trying to find a replacement over the past few days but after being spurned by Paul George, Buddy Hield, and others, it seems that the franchise isn’t in a position where players want to sign right now.
It remains to be seen how the team will respond to losing all of the top names but they could still make some changes via trade if they’re willing to take a risk. With NBA veteran DeMar DeRozan on the table, among others, the Lakers still have a chance to shake things up before it’s too late.
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