4 Free Agents Lakers Should Target This Offseason

1. Klay Thompson

This is probably more of a pipe dream for the Lakers but it's also difficult to evaluate what Klay Thompson's next contract will look like, so there is a possibility he might end up with the Lakers.

Throughout his 13-year NBA career, Thompson has made over $225 million. He is coming off of a five-year max contract which paid him $43 million for the 2023-24 season. He is obviously not worth that at this point and he will get a much smaller contract this time around.

This could also mean that Thompson might prioritize other things over financial gains at this stage of his career. Those other things could mean coming home for Thompson.

Thompson is a Los Angeles native. His father Mychal Thompson played five seasons with the Lakers and won two rings. Naturally, Klay has always been linked to the Lakers.

Now that he is a free agent, that possibility is closer than ever.

At age 33, Thompson is not the two-way dominant force he was earlier in his career. He was the best three-and-D player in the league for a long time. Even though he is a step slower now, he is still a productive player.

More importantly, he has been healthy for the past two seasons, playing in 77 games in the 2023-24 season. His defense took a dip but he still averaged 17.9 points on 38.7% from downtown on 9 attempts per game. He is still one of the most dangerous shooters in the NBA.

Shooting is the skill that ages the best. He should provide value as a floor-spacer for years to come and that could be powerful next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. If he is willing to give the Lakers a hometown discount, Thompson would be an excellent free-agent acquisition this summer.

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