The Milwaukee Bucks made the most stunning move of the 2025 NBA free agency window thus far by signing Myles Turner away from the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers and waiving and stretching the contract of Damian Lillard in order to have the cap space to do so.
Lillard is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season with a torn achilles. However, him being an unrestricted free agent — and one that’s already being paid $112.6 million over the next two years — makes him one of most sought after players in the league, as he’ll likely be looking solely at fit and situation while signing on close to a minimum contract.
And one of the teams that has already reportedly shown interest is the Los Angeles Lakers. This isn’t the first time L.A. has wanted Lillard, and the opportunity to get him on a minimum deal may be too good a chance to pass up, according to Eric Nehm, Sam Amick, and Joe Vardon of The Athletic:
Not surprisingly, league sources say Lillard received calls from several contending teams quickly after the news of his Bucks’ ending broke. League sources say the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are known to be among the many teams that would have interest in doing a deal sooner rather than later. The question is whether he wants to sign with a team now and rehabilitate while under their care or wait until next summer to reassess the situation.
Lillard is about to turn 35, will be coming off an achilles tear and was already slowing down on the defensive end when he was never a stalwart at that end to begin with. However, this is still Damian Lillard, one of the most gifted offensive talents of this generation. And the value of getting him on a minimum is something no team would pass up.
However, his fit with the Lakers is almost non-existent. Going into 2025-26, the Lakers are led by three ball-dominant scorers and decision-makers that do not play consistent defense in Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James. Adding Lillard would make it almost impossible to play defensive-minded lineups, as at least two of those four players would be on the floor at all times once he’s healthy.
Lillard is going to weigh if signing with a team now makes more sense, or waiting until he’s fully healthy to make that decision. But expect the Lakers to be a part of the bidding process when that happens.
Jake LaRavia reacts to joining Lakers in NBA free agency
The first free agency signing for the Lakers this summer was wing Jake LaRavia. A former first-round pick of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022, LaRavia has shown flashes of being an excellent 3-and-D wing, but has been unable to garner consistent minutes in his career so far.
At just 23 years of age, there is still plenty of room to grow for LaRavia and the hope is that that 6’8, 235-pound wing can help fill the void left by the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets. One thing that is for sure is that LaRavia is excited to join the purple and gold.
The newest Laker took to social media not long after news of his signing came out to say how he excited he was to be joining the franchise and is ready to get to work.
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