This offseason, the conversation with the Lakers has been more about what hasn’t happened than what has.
There were dreams of Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan, but the reality is that the roster remains the same, minus the additions of rookies Bronny James and Dalton Knecht and the departure of Taurean Prince.
Given cap constraints and having 15 players already on the roster, the Lakers can only obtain new talent with a salary dump trade. Reports this summer have indicated that Cam Reddish and Christain Wood are the players “most likely” to be traded in a salary dump, but that remains to be seen.
If Los Angeles can create the roster and cap space to obtain a player and use their taxpayer mid-level exception, these are the five best options currently available to the Lakers.
Precious Achiuwa
The Lakers have been searching for quality bigs to pair with Anthony Davis for the last few seasons and have yet to find one they’d like to retain. Achiuwa could become that player.
He’s coming off a season where he averaged 7.6 points and 6.6 rebounds for the Knicks. While he isn’t an offensive powerhouse, he can score inside and provide some defensive stability.
The Lakers need to address their big deficiency and they have tried to do so with Wood and Jaxson Hayes. Achiuwa is another guy the team could take a flyer on, but he’s the best available at the moment.
Spencer Dinwiddie
Okay, so bringing Dinwiddie back as your next addition would be hilarious but not the worst idea. He’s still a double-digit scorer who gives you some size on the perimeter. He’s a consummate professional and being a local guy, he talks the talk about wanting to be a Laker.
With a full season on the roster and under the leadership of JJ Redick, he might give the team more production and be a good backup guard option.
With how young the backend of the roster is, Dinwiddie provides NBA talent you can go to for buckets in games, something Jalen Hood-Schifino, Brony James and Maxwell Lewis are currently unable to do.
Lonnie Walker IV
What would be funnier than the Lakers getting rid of some dead weight on the roster to bring back Dinwiddie? Getting rid of guys to bring back Lonnie Walker IV.
We’ve seen the best and worst Walker has to offer during his time with the Lakers. In Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors in the 2023 playoffs, he single-handedly took over and won the game.
That victory gave the Lakers a commanding 3-1 lead and ultimately sent them to the Western Conference Finals.
The bad part is his defensive struggles. At times, he appeared lost in Darvin Ham’s system, blowing coverages on defense and not moving to the correct spots on offense.
Still, he’s a firecracker on offense and can provide a spark for Los Angeles on the bench.
Gordon Hayward
You can never have too many wings and Hayward is a decent one. He averages 9.8 points per game and shoots well from 3-point range. He averaged 41.1% from deep last season.
With his solid defense, range and ability to occasionally score from inside, he would provide a nice weapon for the Lakers and give them some much-needed depth from the small forward position.
That being said, he’s a big injury concern as well and, even when healthy, he wasn’t able to get on the court during the playoffs for the Thunder last season.
Jae Crowder
It’s not my favorite option, but you need some size and Crowder provides that. He’s a solid defender who can hit the 3-point shot at a respectable rate.
Crowder’s a veteran who knows he’s out of the league if he doesn’t play well. It’s not ideal, but he’d at least be in the rotation and can contribute immediately.
