Given the Los Angeles Lakers’ lack of cap space and roster spots, general manager Rob Pelinka will need to get creative if he wants to make upgrades to the roster this summer.
Someone who is willing to help make his job easier is LeBron James, who came out and said he is willing to take a significant pay cut on his new deal if it means the Lakers can add an impact player.
James gave the Lakers a list that included James Harden, Klay Thompson and Jonas Valanciunas with the Golden State Warriors star immediately making the most sense.
Thompson grew up going to Laker games watching his dad Mychal, who is still the radio broadcaster for the organization. With the four-time champion expected to leave the Warriors in free agency, a homecoming with the Lakers is something there is believed to be mutual interest in.
With that being the case, the Lakers are expected to be among the teams to meet with Thompson at the start of free agency, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Klay Thompson plans to have discussions with the Mavericks, Lakers, Clippers and 76ers in the opening hours of free agency, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2024
James taking a pay cut of around $16-17 million would help the Lakers open up a full mid-level exception of around $12.9 million per year, which they would potentially offer to Thompson. They could also work out a sign-and-trade with the Warriors to acquire Thompson and use their mid-level elsewhere.
While Thompson isn’t the player he once was, he is still once of the best shooters in the league. The Lakers have been looking to surround James and Anthony Davis with shooters for years, and now seem intent on finally doing it after hiring JJ Redick as their head coach.
If the Lakers cannot land an impact free agent then LeBron would sign for his full max, so the pressure will be on Pelinka to deliver.
Mavericks are ‘team to beat’ for Lakers target Klay Thompson
While the Lakers have mutual interest in Thompson, they are not his only suitor heading into free agency.
Thompson is also set to meet with the Dallas Mavericks, L.A. Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers and reports have indicated that the Mavericks are the team to beat in these sweepstakes.
That means that the Lakers have work to do trying to convince him in their meeting, or else they risk losing him to another contender.
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