Biggest need Lakers must still address in 2024 NBA free agency

Where do the Los Angeles Lakers stand almost a week into the 2024 NBA free agency period?

Sure, they’ve added a new head coach, two players in the NBA Draft, with Tyler Knecht and Bronny James both landing standard four-year NBA contracts, and have brought back many of their own players, from Max Christie, to Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood, and most importantly, LeBron James but other than that, they have missed out on every big name free agent who has come off the board despite trying to get into both the Buddy Hield and Klay Thompson business to varying degrees.

Fortunately, there are still players on the free agent board that could play a big role in the team moving forward, including the hottest name around in DeMar DeRozan, who is looking to leave Chicago one way or another after things petered out with his former organization.

Standing 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, and hailing from USC by way of Compton, California, DeRozan is one of the more interesting players in the NBA. He began his career as a shooting guard in Toronto -where he was a legends until appearing in Kendrick Lamar’s new “Not Like Us” music video – then transitioned to small forward in San Antonio before becoming a more position-versatile player in Chicago, where he actually played more power forward than small forward, according to Basketball-Reference.

And yet, regardless of what position he’s been technically called, DeRozan’s game has largely stayed the same, with the USC product attempting among the most mid-range shots per game of any player in the NBA while ranking second in clutch points scores in 2023-24 behind just Steph Curry.

Is he a perfect fit next to James and Anthony Davis at the third frontcourt spot? No, a player like Paul George would fit that role much better. Is he, however, the best player available for the job, especially considering there are a number of different ways the Lakers could get a deal done, including a three-team deal that sends D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn who, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fisher, have been interest in bringing back the former Net since the trade deadline? He’s certainly among them, yes.

Even if he isn’t the 3-and-D wing every NBA GM prioritizes, DeRozan’s ability to score late in games on his own or in a two-man game with Davis or James could give the Lakers an edge in close outings and hopefully help them to win a few more games in a very tight Western Conference. Give them a higher seed and some good luck and who knows, maybe LA could be tied with Boston for the most titles in the NBA before James hangs up his shoes for good.

DeMar DeRozan has changed his tune on returning to Chicago

While a breakup between DeRozan and the Bulls feels increasingly likely with each passing day, there was a time in the not-too-distant past – April, actually – when the six-time All-Star was incredibly high on the prospects of returning to the Windy City, telling NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson that he loved playing for the fans and straight up wanted to return.

“You watch me, how hard I play, how hard I want to give success to this organization, this city, that’s my main focal point. I always want to finish a job. The last couple years have been tough with injuries and so many ups and downs. But I always want to weather the storm and stick through whatever situation it is to make the most out of it, to make it even better. That’s always been my mindset, and it’s my mindset going forward. How can I be here and make this a winning organization like when I first came?” DeMar DeRozan asked K.C. Johnson.

“The feeling, the vibe, the energy that was around when we had that run (in 2021-22), I want the city and all these players to experience that again—and for myself too. It’s always easy to complain and say what’s not. But I made it clear this is where I want to be and ride it out. I don’t want to go nowhere.

“They know it. Everybody knows my stance. I lay it down from this perspective: I want to come back. Everybody else figure out what you need to figure out. And that’s just how I look at it so I don’t stress or worry about what’s what. I made it clear this is where I want to be. The powers that be just need to figure out what needs to happen. Everybody knows my mindset.”

What has changed since DeRozan was so into the idea of closing out his prime in Chicago? Well, it could be the team’s decision to move on from one of their best players, Alex Caruso, in favor of a more developmental guard in ex-OKC Thunder point Josh Giddey. Factor in the addition of Matas Buzelis, who ranked fourth on The Ringers’ 2024 On Kevin O’Connor’s big board but may need some time to develop into a top-tier starter at one of the forward spots and the writing appears to be on the wall: Chicago is embracing a youth movement after years in the middle of the East, and DeRozan will simply no longer be the focal point of the Bulls moving forward.

There’s still a chance LeBron James takes less than the max

Discussing the Lakers’ current cap situation on the July 3rd edition of No Cap Room, Jake Fischer and Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports discussed James’ intention to re-sign with the Lakers on a new two-year, $104 million contract featuring a no-trade clause, a player option in Year 2 and all the other “sprinkles on top” typically given to one of the greatest players of all time.

And yet, per the show’s hosts, just because that’s what has been reported doesn’t mean the exact deal couldn’t be tweaked before pen hits paper, especially if the Lakers give their star player a reason to do so.

You see, if the Lakers add James at the reported number, they will be over the second apron and thus, will be limited in their team-building abilities for not only this season, but into the future if they remain in the same situation. By just taking a few million less per season, roughly $2 million, according to Bobby Marks’ cap projections, the Lakers could get under the second apron and thus be able to aggregate contracts in a trade and sign players for more than the minimum using their taxpayer mid-level exception.

Would James take $2 million less to give the Lakers a few more cards they can play this fall, including the option to improve the team next February or be competitive in the buyout market shortly after the trade deadline? Considering that James’ team often makes big moves in the middle of the season, that seems like a very real possibility.