Lakers Eyeing 4 NBA Free Agents For Veteran Minimum Contract

The Los Angeles Lakers came into this summer hoping to massively upgrade the roster. LeBron James even offered to give up part of his next contract in an effort to bring in some big-name talents.

Unfortunately, nobody actually wanted to come and join the Lakers. Klay Thompson turned down more money on a longer deal and instead joined the Dallas Mavericks. Jonas Valanciunas linked up with the Washington Wizards. Dejounte Murray okayed a deal to the New Orleans Pelicans.

That has left L.A. in something of a rough situation. Adrian Wojnarowski outlined the team’s path forward on Wednesday – and it was telling.

Obviously the Lakers remain in the hunt for Kyle Kuzma. And yes, they are currently one of three teams being linked to a blockbuster superstar trade.

But it is increasingly looking like the only way L.A. will realistically modify the roster is around the edges.

The team now appears to be eyeing four big-name stars to sign on a veteran minimum deal.

Gordon Hayward, who has previously been linked to the Lakers, is a logical option for Rob Pelinka and Co. Although his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t go as planned, he is still a capable shooter who could provide offense in spurts for L.A.

Kyle Lowry is another player to watch. Yes, he has been more linked to the Los Angeles Clippers in recent days – but he would be a nice off-the-bench piece for the Lakers as well. He can shoot and take some ballhandling responsibilities away from LeBron James.

Evan Fournier is another name to watch. After getting out of his New York Knicks purgatory he really struggled to find his rhythm with the Detroit Pistons last year. That said – maybe restarting his career in L.A. could be exactly what he needs to get back to being the sort of player he was before coming to NY.

Finally, Gary Trent Jr. is worth keeping an eye on. The market for him has been incredibly soft this offseason and he has been linked to L.A. previously. This could be the time to finally make that union work. When he gets hot, he can be a Buddy Hield-esque three-point shooter.

Who will the Lakers ultimately be able to sign on the veteran minimum deal when everything is said and done? Time will tell.

Carlos Garcia

A longtime Sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB Games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.