3 Former LeBron James Teammates Lakers Should Bring in for A Reunion This Offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers have a big offseason ahead of them and a big part of their outlook has to do with LeBron James. The four-time NBA MVP has to decide on his $54.1 million player option and if he chooses to decline it, he'll become a free agent for the first time since joining the Lakers in 2018.

If general manager Rob Pelinka's goal is to win a championship next season, he must do everything in his power to convince "King James" to stay. One way that he can do that is by properly surrounding James (and Anthony Davis) with a better support cast — potentially doing so with players that the 39-year-old is more than familiar with.

After all, chemistry wins championships, so reuniting James with some of his former teammates is worth the risk — especially with his career winding down.

Having said that, here are three former LeBron James teammates that the Lakers should target this offseason.

1. Alex Caruso, PG/SG

Poor point guard play is one of the reasons why the Lakers crumbled against the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. D'Angelo Russell turned into the invisible man for the second straight postseason and Los Angeles' backup options — Gabe Vincent and Spencer Dinwiddie — didn't exactly make up for the former's struggles.

If the Lakers want a more reliable PG to play with James and Davis, look no further than Alex Caruso.

After going undrafted in 2016, Caruso joined the Lakers as a free agent ahead of the 2017-18 campaign. It didn't take long for the ex-Texas A&M product to become a fan favorite due to his defensive performances and never-say-die attitude, eventually earning the "Bald Mamba" nickname. He quickly became one of Los Angeles' most important role players and played a role in the 2020 championship run.

Lakers fans were left disappointed, though, when the team allowed Caruso to hit the open market in 2021. It didn't take long for him to get snatched up, signing a four-year, $37 million contract with the Chicago Bulls. He's since cemented himself as one of the NBA's best defenders with back-to-back All-Defense nods.

Nevertheless, Caruso is entering the final year of his deal and the Bulls, who could use an offseason retool, might be open to trade him rather than losing him for nothing next summer. Considering that NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Chicago nearly moved the 30-year-old ahead of the trade deadline, there's no excuse for the Lakers to not give the Bulls a call — especially when Caruso only has a $9.8 million salary next season.

With the ability to shoot, pass, and defend, it's clear that Caruso is the perfect former teammate that James needs.