The Lakers are a scorching matter as free company begins, so we now have assembled all the principle rumors and speaking factors. Right here’s the whole lot it is advisable know:
KLAY THOMPSON
There was a whole lot of buzz round Klay Thompson probably becoming a member of the Lakers, particularly since ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that LeBron James picked up the telephone to recruit him the minute free company started.
“I’m instructed LeBron James known as Klay Thompson proper when free company opened at 6 p.m. ET, reached out and talked to Klay Thompson,” Wojnarowski mentioned on SportsCenter on Sunday. “The expectation that I’ve proper now could be these conversations, this negotiation will go into tomorrow. There in all probability won’t be a decision tonight.”
Woj added that the Lakers, Clippers and Mavericks had been “working to be concerned on this”.
If LA can supply Thompson an quantity he’s pleased with, it figures to be an particularly interesting possibility for him. The four-time champ grew up in LA and his father Mychal Thompson performed for the purple and gold.
The potential transfer would additionally enable Klay to proceed having fun with the California way of life that he appears to relish a lot, not less than in line with his social media exercise.
D’ANGELO RUSSELL TRADE
D’Angelo Russell opting into his contract provides the Lakers a useful commerce chip, and in line with The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, they’ll be wanting to make use of it.
“I’ve been instructed the Lakers are going to be aggressive in pursuing potential trades for [D’Angelo Russell],” Buha reported.
It stays to be seen which groups LA is partaking (or hoping to have interaction) in commerce talks round Russell.
POTENTIAL WING ADDITIONS
The Lakers are on the lookout for wing gamers and will search to land one in a possible D’Angelo Russell commerce, in line with Jovan Buha.
“There are good choices probably on the market,” Buha reported. “Wings akin to Portland’s Jerami Grant, former Lakers participant Kyle Kuzma and the Nets’ duo of Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson are anticipated to be obtainable on the commerce market, in line with league sources.”
It’s value noting that these gamers aren’t particularly linked to the Lakers, however are merely some attainable candidates resulting from their doubtless availability and positional match.
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