The Los Angeles Lakers have been busy trying to improve their roster in the wake of LeBron James informing them that he plans to continue his career elsewhere next season.
With an abundance of cap space at their disposal, the team has reportedly met with restricted free agents Walker Kessler and Jalen Duren. Several reports also suggest that Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes are likely to sign with L.A. in the coming days.
As the Lakers look to improve their overall shooting, they were among the teams that made a push to sign former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade before he agreed to a four-year, $39 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype:
Dean Wade's 4-year, $39 million deal with the 76ers includes a fourth-year partial guarantee. Other teams who showed significant interest in Wade included the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Detroit Pistons, sources said. https://t.co/hgeqqzTUYV
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 1, 2026
Wade averaged 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 36.2% from 3-point range in 22.3 minutes across 59 games for the Cavaliers this past season. He is also a quality defender who can guard multiple positions on the floor.
While his overall numbers don’t jump out, Wade did the little things right such as setting screens and limiting turnovers. He started 14 out of 18 games for the Cavaliers during their playoff run, which ended when they lost to the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The 76ers’ signing of Wade could indicate that they do not plan to bring back unrestricted free agent Kelly Oubre Jr. for the 2026-27 season. The veteran forward has several meetings lined up, including one with the Lakers.
Lakers free agency tracker
The Lakers didn’t make a move in the opening hours of free agency on Tuesday afternoon, but previously re-signed Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million maximum contract extension. Deandre Ayton also exercised his $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
In terms of subtractions, the Lakers saw Marcus Smart (Houston Rockets) and Luke Kennard (Phoenix Suns) depart as free agents. Maxi Kleber is also expected to return to Europe next season, and James of course will be playing with a new team.
Meanwhile, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes are unrestricted free agents. L.A. still has $52 million in salary cap space, along with a $9.4 million midlevel exception to use for potential roster additions.
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