48 Hours After Losing Top Star to $3,100,000 Lure, Lakers Target 17 Year NBA Veteran to Pair With LeBron James

The NBA offseason is buzzing with the news. As we head closer to the training camps around September, many teams are yet to shore up their rosters. In such a scenario, the name of the Los Angeles Lakers is bound to be thrown around in many instances. With LeBron James seeking his second title with the squad, a lot is online. So far the team hasn’t made any humungous moves but short and sweet deals, keeping their core from last season intact.

The team may continue the tradition of nabbing a long-term veteran in the offseason again.

LeBron James can team up with a solid role player

The Lakers are looking to fill up their roster. They have somehow managed to remain under the luxury tax. D’Angelo Russell inked an $18 million per year contract, which is pretty much a bargain in the current market. Rui Hachimura nabbed a $17 million per year contract, thanks to his outings during the last Playoffs. Austin Reaves’ $12 million per year contract also makes sense for a rising star.

Gabe Vincent is earning around $10 million a year, which is a bargain for a starting-level athlete. The rest of the depth providers like Jarred Vanderbilt. Jalen Hood-Schafino, Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, Max Christie, and Maxwell Lewis have all contracts below $5 million a year. The only two big contracts are of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, both earning north of $80 million.

Therefore, a veteran minimum contract is still on a player. As per hoopshype, murmurs are that Rudy Gay is one of their potential targets. As a 17-year veteran scoring wing with a lot of chops, he can be a bargain too. While he is no longer the 20 points a game scorer and averaged just around five points a game last season, he remains a bench booster.

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Having Gay can help cover for injuries and also mentor young guys like Raves and Hood-Schafino, who can learn a lot from the veteran. 

Some thoughts about the Lakers’ approach

While the Lakers missed out on Nerlens Noel, who signed a $3.1 million per year deal with the Sacramento Kings. Noel is an athletic player and the Lakers may need some size in the middle. Center Jaxson Hayes’ seven-foot size does help, but the Lakers do have size issues. However, they have built a typical run-n-gun squad that can shoot from deep and use their wiry bodies to nab loose balls.

Rudy Gay makes sense as a role-filler, but the team could have benefitted from Nerlens’ rebounding and inside finish.

At any rate, the Lakers have avoided the temptation of going after the big names of current free agency. They’ve done a great job of bringing back a unit that meshed well. The core of the current crop helped them reach the Conference Finals.

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Will patience pave the way for another deep Playoff run?