The Los Angeles Lakers probably won’t have much money to spend this summer, however, they could use their exceptions to target several key players from a few playoff contenders.
While the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t get championship 17 in 2023, there were still a lot of positives in this past season. The team struggled early with new head coach Darvin Ham, however, several key trades during the NBA trade deadline in February gave Ham the right mix of players and the team went on a tear.
Related: Top 2023 NBA free agents – Best 100 available with positional breakdowns
Despite having to compete in the NBA play-in tournament, the Los Angeles Lakers defied the odds by upending the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round and then bounced the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the semifinals. While they fell to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the conference finals, there is a lot of hope for the team’s title chances in 2023-2024.
However, this summer they must make sure they re-sign key players from this year’s team — Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura — and add new pieces that can help take them over the top. If they can retain players like Reaves and Hachimura, the Lakers will then look to use their team exceptions to add depth and strengthen their bench.
Grant Williams and Bruce Brown could be Los Angeles Lakers targets in NBA free agency
Recently, The Athletic’s Los Angeles Lakers reporter Jovan Buha took a look at likely targets for the team using their non-taxpayer midlevel exception ($12.2 million) and taxpayer midlevel exception ($5 million). Interestingly enough, the players that stood out the most played key roles during the 2023 NBA playoffs.
One player Buha believes the team could go after is Denver Nuggets bench ace, Bruce Brown. The undersized forward scored double-digit points and four-plus rebounds during Denver and Brooklyn’s playoff runs the last two seasons.
The other player that could be on the Lakers’ wish list in NBA free agency is restricted talent, Grant Williams. While his stats don’t jump off the page, he was a hugely important 3-and-D stud for the Boston Celtics during two impressive rungs in the postseason the last two years.
Either would give the Lakers some interesting and formidable small-ball lineups next season but both could take up their entire non-taxpayer exceptions.