Lakers' 2022 Free-Agent Big Board, Top Players to Target
The Los Angeles Lakers enter the 2022 NBA offseason with bargains on their mind.
With their payroll saddled by the colossal contracts attached to LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, they have almost nothing to spend and a slew of roster spots to fill.
The taxpayer's mid-level exception offers a tiny bit of coin to throw around ($6.3 million to be exact), but otherwise there's only veteran's minimum money to go around for external targets. Still, with the Hollywood backdrop to sell and the allure of sharing the court with James, L.A. might craft a decent sales pitch.
When the Lakers officially start their bargain hunt, this is how their big board might take shape.
3. Thaddeus Young
The simple task for L.A.'s front office is finding more players who fit with James.
Usually, that would entail adding a more reliable three-point shooter than Thaddeus Young, who has only connected on 33.2 percent of his long-range looks in his career. Given their budget constraints, though, the Lakers will have a tough time uncovering ideal fits.
Beside, what Young lacks on outside shooting, he may more than compensate for with skills, smarts and two-way versatility.
This past season was a statistical letdown, but in the year prior, the 33-year-old provided the Chicago Bulls with 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals per night. He knows how to execute his role, and his skill set stretches far enough to slide through different roles at both ends.
2. Tyus Jones
Whether the Lakers are moving forward with Russell Westbrook or not—if they really won't part with a first-round pick to dump his salary, as The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported, he might stand pat after all—they need to perk up their point guard spot.
Tyus Jones looms as an intriguing option, if the mid-level exception is enough to add him.
It's certainly possible that won't be. The 26-year-old has long been a source of expert ball control (career 3.7 assists against 0.7 turnovers) and pesky defense, but his newfound success from the perimeter (39 percent) boosted his stock.
Granted, that shooting didn't include a ton of volume (2.8 attempts per outing), but the point still stands that he had never taken his many triples or splashed them at a higher clip.
Having said that, the Duke product has only started 72 of his career 455 games, and clubs probably aren't breaking the bank for a backup point guard. Maybe someone pictures him as a starter, but there aren't a lot of openings, and those that do exist could be filled via the draft or other free agents.
If Jones remains in the price range, the Lakers should give him a long look.
1. Malik Monk
Based on the level of disappointment the Lakers encountered this season, it feels relatively safe to assume they won't aggressively pursue many of their own free agents.
Malik Monk is the obvious exception.
The former lottery pick (11th overall in 2017) blossomed in L.A. By year's end, his stat sheet essentially featured one career high after the next, including 13.8 points, 2.9 assists and a 47.3 field-goal percentage. It's possible he was too good for the Lakers to afford to keep, though he says money won't be the driving factor behind his free-agency decision.
"It's really me being comfortable," Monk told reporters. "Feeling like at home whether that's here or somewhere else with little money or more money. ... It's really just feeling at home and wanted."
If the Lakers can communicate that sentiment to the 24-year-old, and his external offers don't blow theirs away, a reunion could be in the works.