The Lakers will have to choose their free agents well this summer, if they want to be part of the contenders again. For that, nothing better than observing the competition! The Purples and Golds would thus monitor no less than three players who have proven themselves to the Warriors.
It’s hard to find many franchises for which free agency 2022 will be as decisive as the Lakers. Catastrophic in 2021-22, the Angelinos have a lot to be forgiven for. It all starts with a better construction of the workforce, which will be necessary since a good part of it is at the end of the contract. Leaders must therefore find the right pieces to build around the local Big Three, which is likely to remain intact through the summer.
The good news is that some players who convinced last year should stay. The franchise has already announced the return of two of them, while Malik Monk announced that he wanted to extend. However, this will not be enough to complete the workforce, and we will still have to recruit a few men. For this, LA has the mid-level exception, an offer of nearly $10 million per year. According to Johan Buva of The Athleticsome candidates would hold the pole position:
The Lakers have a strong interest in retaining Monk, but that will depend on both his market and the quality of 3&D wingers available to Los Angeles, league sources say. The players the Lakers will target with their mid-level exception are Otto Porter Jr, Nicolas Batum, Gary Harris, TJ Warren, Caleb Martin, Cody Martin, Mo Bamba and Danuel House Jr, according to multiple league sources.
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The Nicolas Batum option already seems unrealizable, the French winger having left to re-enlist with the local rival, the Clippers. The two parties just have to agree on the contract, but Batman has already indicated that he has no intention of leaving. As for the other profiles, those of TJ Warren and Gary Harris could be intriguing but everything will depend on the amount they will demand. On the other hand, Otto Porter Jr. seems like an ideal candidate.
LA interested in Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica
Ringed this season with the Warriors, the former No. 3 in the draft is now a confirmed veteran with qualities that will greatly appeal to Los Angeles. Author of 8 points and almost 6 rebounds per game in 2021-22, he also shot 37% from behind the arc and was not bad in defense. So many sectors in which the Californians are in serious need of reinforcements, and he would offer a good alternative to LeBron James on positions 3-4.
However, Porter is not the only member of the Dubs who is courted by the Crimson and Gold. Still according to Buha, two other of his teammates thus found themselves in their sights:
Players who will be of interest to the Lakers for a partial mid-level exception or minimum contracts include Nemanja Bjelica, Jeremy Lamb, Jevon Carter and Juan Toscano-Anderson, league sources say.
In order to get back on their feet, the Lakers could try to kill two birds with one stone and pluck the Warriors a little at the same time. Not necessarily a bad idea, provided you are smart in the distribution of wages.
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