Lakers Rumors: L.A. Expected To Be Among Teams Targeting Al Horford In Free Agency

Trevor Lane
3 Min Read

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be major players in the free agent market this summer, with over $60 million in cap space available to spend. Unfortunately, thanks to a new TV deal flooding the league with cash, roughly two-thirds of the league will have enough money available to offer a maximum contract to a player.

The Lakers badly want to climb out of the league’s cellar, and as happy as they are to have the number two pick in Thursday’s draft, they know that the fastest way back to contention is by signing an impact free agent. In spite of the stiff competition, they will vigorously pursue every player that they believe can take them to the next level.

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Al Horford is one of the players they will be targeting:

Horford, a 30-year-old center with four All-Star appearances to his name, has spent his entire nine-year NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks. With multiple teams happy to offer up max deals, it’s widely assumed that Horford will prioritize signing with a franchise that is ready to win now.

On the surface, that would appear to eliminate the Lakers from consideration, but Los Angeles does have the advantage of having enough cap room to offer two max deals. In theory, that means that they could bring in Horford and another player, like perhaps DeMar DeRozan, Mike Conley, or if we dare to dream, Kevin Durant or LeBron James.

Adding any two of those players to the Lakers young core of Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell, and presumably, Duke’s Brandon Ingram could potentially put the team back in playoff contention. It’s a long shot, and the competition for free agents will be fierce, but adding a player of Horford’s quality would go a long way towards bringing the Lakers back to the playoffs.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com