3 Best Free Agents Remaining that Could Save the Lakers Offseason
By Cem Yolbulan
Lonnie Walker IV
The Lakers could also turn to a familiar face to provide more offensive juice. After a productive 2022-23 season in Los Angeles, Lonnie Walker IV signed with the Nets last offseason. He wasn't as effective in Brooklyn as he only averaged 17.4 minutes per game.
Now, he has hit unrestricted free agency and he is surprisingly still out there. The 25-year-old shooting guard has an intriguing combination of shooting and athleticism. He made over 38% of his threes last season after hitting 36.5% with the Lakers a season prior. He can attack the basket and finish at the rim when the defender closes out on him. This is the type of skill set the Lakers missed last year.
Los Angeles doesn't have dynamic on-ball players on the wing. Austin Reaves can provide some creation to help LeBron James but it has proven insufficient in the postseason. Someone like Walker to give a jolt to bench units and score in an instant could be valuable for the Lakers.
Like the other options on this list, signing Walker isn't going to turn the Lakers into an immediate contender. But he will help and it behooves the Lakers to give first-time head coach JJ Redick and the 39-year-old LeBron the best roster possible to give them a chance to compete. That is the least Rob Pelinka can do after his offseason fumbles.
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