NBA Free Agency: The Los Angeles Lakers’ Top Targets

Now that the NBA Free agency period is in Full Swing the Los Angeles Lakers are turning their attention to some of the top targets on the market. Who are the team’s top targets?

Why the Los Angeles Lakers need to spend big in free agency

With the Los Angeles Lakers’ season coming to an end, the front office’s attention will now turn to the offseason and, specifically, free agency

The Lakers have a lot of work to do if they want to return to contender status next season. They currently have just five players under contract for next season, and none of them are All-Stars.

To make matters worse, the Lakers are hard-capped, meaning they cannot exceed the luxury tax threshold of $129.1 million without making some difficult decisions.

The Lakers’ best bet is to focus on signing one or two max-level free agents They have been linked to a number of big names, including Kawhi Leonard Kyrie Irving Kemba Walker and Jimmy Butler

The team will also need to fill out its roster with role players on cheap contracts. This is where the likes of Reggie Bullock, J.J. Redick and Trevor Ariza come in.

The Lakers have a lot of work to do this offseason, but if they can land one or two big-name free agents they will be in good shape for next season.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ top targets in free agency

The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of money to spend in free agency this offseason, and they are expected to be major players on the market. The team has been linked to several big-name free agents and they are expected to pursue at least one of them aggressively. Here are the Lakers’ top targets in free agency

Kevin Durant: The biggest free agent on the market, Durant is expected to be pursued by several teams. The Lakers will likely make a strong push for him, but it remains to be seen if they can convince him to leave the Golden State Warriors

Kyrie Irving: Irving is one of the best point guards in the league and would be a huge addition to the Lakers’ backcourt. He is reportedly interested in teaming up with Lebron James so the Lakers will have a good chance at signing him if they can make enough cap space

Kawhi Leonard: Leonard is one of the best two-way players in the league and would be a great fit next to James. The Lakers are reportedly among the teams Leonard is considering, but it remains to be seen if they can persuade him to sign with them.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers need to sign Kawhi Leonard

The Los Angeles Lakers are in desperate need of a star player and Kawhi Leonard is the perfect candidate. Leonard is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and was named Finals MVP when he led the Toronto Raptors to their first ever NBA Championship He is also a native of Los Angeles which would make him the perfect player to be the face of the Lakers franchise.

The Lakers have been linked to Leonard ever since he became a free agent and they are reportedly one of his top choices. If they can sign Leonard, it would completely change their fortunes and make them instant contenders in the Western Conference

Why the Los Angeles Lakers need to sign Kyrie Irving

The Los Angeles Lakers are in dire need of a point guard and Kyrie Irving is one of the best in the business. He’s a 6-time All-Star, a 2-time All-NBA selection, and the 2016 NBA Finals MVP. In other words, he’s exactly the type of player the Lakers need to take their franchise to the next level.

The biggest reason the Lakers need to sign Kyrie Irving is that he would be a perfect fit alongside Lebron James Irving is one of the best scoring point guards in the league and he has proven that he can play well in big games. Lebron James is obviously the Lakers’ best player, but he can’t do it all by himself. The Lakers need another star player to help take some of the pressure off of LeBron and Kyrie Irving would be perfect for that role.

Another reason the Lakers should sign Kyrie Irving is that he would give them another ball-handler and playmaker. The Lakers currently have Lonzo Ball who is a decent ball-handler and playmaker, but he’s not on Irving’s level. Having two ball-handlers on the court would make the Lakers’ offense much more dangerous and it would also take some of the pressure off of Lonzo Ball

The final reason why the Lakers should sign Kyrie Irving is because he’s from Southern California This isn’t necessarily a key factor in whether or not to sign a player, but it does add an extra layer of intrigue. It would be huge for Kyrie Irving to come home and play for his hometown team. It would also generate a lot of excitement among Lakers’ fans, which is something that this franchise desperately needs right now.

Irving will be a Free Agent this offseason and there will be no shortage of suitors lining up to try to sign him. The Lakers will have to be very aggressive if they want to land Kyrie Irving but it will be well worth it if they can pull it off.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers need to sign Kemba Walker

The Los Angeles Lakers are in dire need of a point guard and Kemba Walker is the best free agent on the market. Walker is coming off of a career year in which he averaged 25.6 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game He is also a two-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Third Team this past season. The Lakers desperately need someone who can create their own shot and Walker would be a Perfect Fit next to Lebron James

Why the Los Angeles Lakers need to sign Jimmy Butler

The Los Angeles Lakers need to sign Jimmy Butler this offseason for a number of reasons. First, Butler is one of the best two-way players in the NBA. He can score, defend, and do both at an All-Star level. Second, Butler is a proven winner. He’s been to the playoffs six times in his seven NBA seasons and he’swon a gold medal with Team USA at the 2014 FIBA World Cup Third, Butler would be a perfect complement to Lebron James and Anthony Davis He can take some ofthe pressure off of them offensively, and he can guard the best player on the other team. fourth, signing Jimmy Butler would sent a message to the rest of the NBA that the Lakers are serious about winning an NBA Championship

The Los Angeles Lakers need to sign Jimmy Butler this offseason for a number of reasons. First, Butler is one of the best two-way players in the NBA. He can score, defend, and do both at an All-Star level. Second, Butler is a proven winner; he’s been to the playoffs six times in his seven NBA seasons and won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2014 FIBA World Cup Third, Butler would be a perfect complement to Lebron James and Anthony Davis he can take some pressure off them offensively and guard the best player on the other team. Fourth, signing Jimmy Butler would send a message to the rest ofthe NBA thatthe Lakers are serious about winning an NBA Championship

Why the Los Angeles Lakers need to sign Klay Thompson

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a unique position this offseason. They have the ability to sign two max contract free agents which means they can add two All-Star caliber players to their roster. They also have the assets to make a trade for Anthony Davis

The Lakers are in dire need of shooting and Thompson is one of the best shooters in the NBA. He would immediately solve one of their biggest problems and his addition would make them a much more dangerous team.

Thompson is also a very good defender and he would give the Lakers another perimeter stopper to go along with LeBron James Signing Thompson would give the Lakers one of the best defensive units in the NBA.

Adding Thompson would make the Lakers a serious contender in the Western Conference They would have a Big Three of Lebron James Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson That trio would be very difficult to stop and they would give the Golden State Warriors a run for their money.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers need to sign Khris Middleton

The Los Angeles Lakers have a ton of cap space this offseason, and they are expected to be major players in free agency One player they should target is Kris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks

Middleton is one of the best two-way players in the NBA. He averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game last season while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three-point range He is a great shooter, and he has the ability tocreate his own shot. He is also a good Defensive Player and he would be a great complement to LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers’ roster.

The Lakers should sign Middleton to a max contract this offseason. He would be a great addition to their team, and he would help them compete for an NBA title next season.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers need to sign Tobias Harris

The Los Angeles Lakers made a big splash in free agency this summer, signing superstar forward LeBron James to a four-year, $154 million deal Now, with James on board, the Lakers have their sights set on contention in the Western Conference

One player that could help them get there is Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris A versatile scorer and solid defender, Harris would be a nice complement to James and fellow star forward Anthony Davis

The Lakers will have to compete with other teams interested in Harris, but they have the cap space to make a competitive offer. Signing Harris would be a big step towards the Lakers’ goal of winning an NBA championship

Why the Los Angeles Lakers need to sign DeMarcus Cousins

The Los Angeles Lakers are in an interesting position this offseason. They have a lot of young talent, but they also have a lot of cap space. They could use that cap space to sign a big name Free Agent or they could use it to build up their roster with smaller signings. However, if they want to contend for a championship next season, they need to sign Demarcus Cousins

Cousins is one of the best centers in the NBA when he is healthy. He is a true back-to-the-basket scorer and he is an elite rebounder. He is also a very good passer for his position. The only problem with Cousins is his injury history. He has missed significant time due to injury in each of the last three seasons, including all of last season with an Achilles tear.

The Lakers are gambletakers, though, and they should take a chance on Cousins. If he can stay healthy, he will be a huge help to their young core of players, including Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram The Lakers have the cap space to sign him, and they should use it to their advantage.