4 Free Agents the Lakers Must Avoid this Offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers are entering the most pivotal week of their offseason. With the NBA Draft and free agency right around the corner, Rob Pelinka and the front office can't afford to make mistakes this offseason.

If the Lakers want to give LeBron James a roster good enough to contend for a championship, they can't waste their already-limited resources. That means that they need to stay away from the following four free agents.

Jonas Valanciunas

It is no secret that Anthony Davis prefers to play power forward. He has long expressed his desire to play next to another big who can battle with other centers. However, outside of the 2020 championship year, those experiments haven't worked for the Lakers.

As Davis aged, his jump shot began to abandon him. He is no longer a three-point shooting threat and his touch from the mid-range isn't where he used to be. This makes him a tough fit next to a traditional center as the Lakers suffer from lack of spacing in those lineups.

Therefore, regardless of what Davis desires, the Lakers should not get a starting center next to Davis. Whether Davis likes it or not, it's clear that the best lineups for the Lakers have AD at the five. That way, Los Angeles can keep him around the rim on the defensive end, while also effectively use him as a rim runner offensively.

That is why Jonas Valanciunas, as traditional of a center as they come, shouldn't be in the Lakers' plans. The 32-year-old free agent is a talented scorer but he is slow-footed and a defensive liability. He doesn't space the floor, either. Using resources on him wouldn't be the ideal scenario for Los Angeles.