Three Free Agent Targets for the Los Angeles Lakers
After the 2023 NBA Draft, where could the Lakers turn to fill the rest of their needs?
The Lakers selected two promising prospects from the 2023 NBA Draft — Indiana guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and Pepperdine wing Maxwell Lewis — and signed other undrafted players to two-way contracts or Exhibit 10 deals. However, they still have some questions to answer in free agency.
Though Rob Pelinka has emphasized the importance of keeping the core of players around LeBron James and Anthony Davis together, there are still a few areas the Lakers must address between now and the start of training camp. Armed with a $12.4M Mid-Level Exception and a $4.5M Bi-Annual Exception, there are several players who could help the Lakers in their championship pursuits — at the right price.
Target #1: Seth Curry
It’s no secret the Lakers are still in need of shooters, and Seth Curry could very well fill that void. The 32-year-old shooting guard averaged 9.2 points per game while shooting 40.5% from three-point range for the Nets last season, all while primarily coming off the bench.
LA‘s bench unit finished fourth in points per game (39.7) but 22nd in three-point percentage (33.6%). Adding Curry to the equation filled by presumably Dennis Schröder and Lonnie Walker IV (among others) would immediately benefit the team (assuming they also retain D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves and move on from Malik Beasley).
Nets Wire noted that although Curry got off to a slow start after recovering from ankle surgery, his performances in January were exceptional:
“While Curry played to his career averages throughout the season, he hit his stride in January as he averaged 15.4 points per game while shooting 51.4% from the field and 47.2% from behind the three-point line. Curry started four games during the month and was on fire as he scored at least 10 points on 11 occasions, scored at least 20 points twice, and even scored 32 points in a four-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 25.”
-Sharif Phillips-Keaton, NetsWire, May 18, 2023
It’s clear that Curry, though not a standout defender, would help shore up LA’s shooting woes, and he’s worth a nod in free agency if he’s willing to move on from the Nets.
Target #2: Dwight Powell
One of the key sticking points for the Lakers will be depth in the middle. Even after trading for Mo Bamba at the deadline and signing Tristan Thompson towards the end of the season, the Lakers still ran Anthony Davis at center. Despite his dominance, it’s clear that they’re better off with AD at the four and another bruiser at the five. Though a Brook Lopez reunion is a pipe dream and Naz Reid just re-signed with the Timberwolves, there are other options out there who could serve as an ideal fit with LA.
One of those is 6'10" Mavericks big Dwight Powell. Fresh off of his ninth year in the league, the 31-year-old Stanford product averaged 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 73% from the field (countered by his 66% shooting from the free-throw line). He is an offensive-minded center, having only tallied 48 steals and 26 blocks over 76 games played. However, playing next to Anthony Davis would definitely make up for it.
Mavs Moneyball’s Matt Gilroy provided an impassioned argument for Powell despite a subpar season in the final year of his contract:
“When Powell is on the floor, he’s going to be giving you maximum effort. He’s going to be in the right place. He’s going to finish lobs and play super-efficient basketball while never requiring an offensive set built around him. He set a new career-high for TS% with a .738 mark, bettering his career average of .661. He’s the longest-tenured Dallas Maverick. All this at age 31, two years removed from an achilles tear.”
It’s also worth noting reports that the Mavs could be changing up their center rotation this offseason.
Having a plug-and-play big who could score in bunches and rebound well would be a major asset for the Lakers, and it would at least help so that Davis doesn’t have to play center for 40 minutes every night. Powell could be a huge help to LA if he’s willing to take a cut from his $11 million salary from last season.
It would also be nice to have him so this doesn’t happen again:
Target #3: Georges Niang
Finally, the Lakers could realistically look at Georges Niang to serve as a backup forward behind either LeBron or AD. In 78 games with the Sixers, the 30-year-old forward averaged a modest eight points, 2.4 rebounds and one assist per game on 44–40–86 splits. His defense, however, leaves much to be desired. Niang finished with a defensive rating of 116, collecting 30 steals and 14 blocks throughout the year.
Though Niang is another player who appeals to LA because of his offense, he also provides needed length and floor-spacing among the team’s forwards. Like Curry, Niang is another scorer who has gotten hot in a hurry, tallying 21 points in 27 minutes off the bench in Philly’s 100–88 win over the Suns on Nov. 7. He has also dropped four or more threes 14 times this season, proving his worth as a three-point marksman that the Lakers would love.
With the Lakers in dire need of frontcourt depth, Niang could be one of the next best options for them to pursue in July.
It’s already shaping up to be a busy summer for the purple and gold, between their latest rookies and crucial decisions to retain key players. Some change could be a good thing for the Lakers, and using free agency to fill some gaps in the roster would be a perfect way of ensuring LA’s status as a contender next season.
