Three players the Lakers should target this offseason

NBA

Jun 30

With the NBA Draft officially over, basketball fans are just days away from an exciting offseason this summer. On June 30 at 3 p.m., hundreds of NBA players will hit free agency and begin ‌joining new teams. With players like Zach Lavine and Bradley Beal on the market for the first time in years, we are set for an entertaining offseason that will rock the NBA. However, one general manager might not ‌get such star power: LeBron James – or as his fans call him, “LeGM.”

The 17-time NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers are coming off one of their worst seasons in recent history, finishing 11th in the Western Conference. In addition, the team is stuck with Russell Westbrook's massive $47 million salary for the upcoming season. And although newly-appointed head coach Darvin Ham promised to bring massive changes to the organization, the Lakers still don’t have enough role players to help them make the playoffs, let alone win a championship.

That is why the Lakers have to make the right free-agency moves. Even if they cannot get a big-name star or get rid of Westbrook, having elite role players around LeBron has proved to be an effective formula for winning basketball games.

With that, here are the top three players the Lakers need to pursue this off-season.

PJ Tucker

Tucker has been the perfect role player on multiple championship-contending teams for the past few years. The power forward/center is the ideal stretch four to space the floor for James and Westbrook. In addition, the 6-foot-5 built monster will always play his heart out on the court - a trait the Lakers lacked last season. More importantly, Tucker will not blow up the Lakers’ salary cap. Last season, the veteran player joined Miami Heat for a mere $7 million per year while shooting 41 percent from the three-point line, according to Basketball-Reference. With his girth and hustle, Tucker is the sixth man the Lakers need to become 18-time world champions.

Bobby Portis

Throughout the 2021-22 season, the team’s elderly roster would constantly give up large leads or get blown out by younger teams. Why? They had no energy.

That is why the Lakers need Portis. The 6-foot-10 forward can play one through five and grab rebounds like Dwight Howard. Also, he is a versatile athlete that plays with crowd-surging energy and shot a solid near-40 percent from three-point range this past season. Unfortunately, the city of Milwaukee loves him too much - and so does he. Because of his energy, Portis has become a fan favorite for the Bucks. The organization, and Portis himself, might not want to end a fruitful relationship. It would take a lot of convincing, hopefully from LeBron, to get this energy-filled forward on board with the Lakers’ championship quest.

Miles Bridges

Although signing Bridges is a long shot considering the Lakers’ salary cap and Bridges’ desire for a massive contract, he is still a name worth mentioning. The Charlotte Hornets' small forward had his best season last year, averaging 20 points and seven rebounds per game. These outstanding numbers combined with his Scottie Pippen-like figure are a deadly combo that most teams will have trouble dealing with next season.

However, Bridges doesn’t provide much spacing compared to Portis and Tucker, shooting just 33 percent from three-point range last year. That number won’t work for this Lakers team, in my opinion. On the other hand, he can create his own shot, and, unlike most defensive forwards in free agency, Bridges can consistently get 20-25 points a night. Bridges’ scoring ability will undoubtedly drive up his market value to where the Lakers won't be in a position to give him a fair offer unless he is willing to take less money to play in Los Angeles with multiple top-75 players.