With your Los Angeles Lakers heading to the Chase Center to face off against the Golden State Warriors, we here at All Lakers are looking towards the future a bit.
Yes, LeBron James has a $51.4 million player option this summer and could be departing for greener pastures but, for the purposes of this exercise, let’s assume he picks up the option and sticks around LA for at least one more year.
Let’s look at three of the Warriors’ (probable) free agents this summer, and how they could align with the Lakers.
1. Klay Thompson
The 6’6″ swingman out of Washington State will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. After being shelved in several recent late-game situations, one wonders if the LA native (and son of current Lakers radio broadcast commentator Mychal Thompson) would like to venture elsewhere. Although he’s no longer an All-Defensive perimeter wing, he remains a solid defender and, most importantly, a total sharpshooter (he’s making 37.3% of his 8.7 triple tries).
2. Chris Paul
CP3 is slated to earn a non-guaranteed $30 million next season. The 38-year-old has moved on to a bench role with his latest squad, but remains a staunch defender, solid three-point shooter and, perhaps most critically for this year, one of the league’s elite distributors. As an undersized player at the smallest position in the game, Paul has always been somewhat brittle.
3. Kevon Looney
Looney is owed a partially guaranteed $8 million deal for next season, but he’s firmly ensconced as his current club’s starting center — albeit at a discount. Would the solid defender and rim roller actually be amenable to playing as (most likely) a backup behind All-Star starting Los Angeles center Anthony Davis, when the 6’9″ big man is good enough to start in other circumstances?
