Lakers Rumors: Latest on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Free-Agency Plans
The Los Angeles Lakers have seemingly been linked to everyone of note this summer.
Not that fans will find this as a surprise—a staple of recent offseasons has been apparent interest in the biggest names via free agency and trade based on the team's reputation, location and other factors, not to mention a supposed watchful eye for the next big thing.
This year isn't an outlier in most regards. But the team is perhaps different in the most important area, which is the willingness to avoid the temptation of a trade for someone like Paul George while continuing to build for the future.
Here's the latest news around the team, with president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and the front office still taking things slowly despite the interesting angles available to them.
No Deals Imminent
Patience is the main key around the Lakers, which isn't such a hard pill to swallow while getting to watch Lonzo Ball and others play in the summer league.
Speculation the team would go after a PG13 or otherwise didn't have the usual frantic feel to it, and neither has free agency.
Despite meeting with free agents such as George Hill and Dion Waiters, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News revealed the Lakers don't have anything else on the table: "Despite all the activity of the first week, however, the Lakers have yet to make a move. Though things remain fluid, the Lakers do not sense any imminent deals, according to league sources familiar with the situation. As of Friday evening, the Lakers also did not have any meetings scheduled with any free agents."
This could change in a heartbeat given the nature of front offices picking up phones and making calls. But it meshes well with the vibe of the offseason—and Medina even noted the Lakers seem to have eyes on free agency in 2018, when names beside George like LeBron James and Russell Westbrook could hit the open market.
A note like this shouldn't make fans feel the Lakers won't do anything else this summer, as there is clearly interest in at least improving the backcourt. The following rumblings confirm the idea.
Interest in KCP...
...under the right circumstances.
In the wake of names like Hill and Waiters floating around the Lakers, it shouldn't come as a shock to hear the front office would like to touch base with new free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Because of cap constraints, the Detroit Pistons renounced the rights to KCP on Friday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. That means the Lakers just saw a 24-year-old guard with upside hit the open market.
Wojnarowski followed by noting the Lakers would love to get something done if the price is right:
KCP certainly fits the high-upside future the Lakers continue to pursue. He's younger and coming off a strong fourth season in which he averaged 13.4 points, 2.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 39.9 percent from the floor.
With Los Angeles, KCP would be free to run alongside Ball and Jordan Clarkson. The one-year deal is similar to the one-year commitment the Lakers floated at Waiters, per Wojnarowski. L.A. lost out there because Waiters went on to get a big-money deal over a few years, but it doesn't mean the same will happen here. For a free agent like KCP, getting to run wild with a rebuilding team and inflating numbers could mean even bigger money on the market the following year.
The Lakers aren't doomed if they miss out here, though it'd be nice to have some young insurance in the backcourt if the future-minded ways don't land a major free agent. But once again, Magic and the front office have stood strong and resisted the temptation to offer anything more than a short-term deal affecting this year's cap alone.
Lakers Missed on Trade
Part of the reason the Lakers have a shot at KCP on the open market is because they couldn't nail down a trade the front office seemed to like.
That said trade sent Avery Bradley from the Boston Celtics to the Pistons, a move that allowed the former to create room for Gordon Hayward, according to Wojnarowski.
Buried in the report of the trade, though, is an important nugget Lakers fans might find interesting: "The Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Clippers were aggressive suitors for Bradley in the past 24 hours, league sources told ESPN."
In other words, once it became obvious the Celtics were on the hunt for a deal to clear cap space, the Lakers were more than happy to pick up the phone. Getting a player like Bradley would consequently have been a bargain compared to normal circumstances—but only if it meant no sacrifice of future pieces or cap space.
On his own, Bradley would have been a nice chip for the Lakers. He's 26 and widely regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Feel free to add he is tacking on a budding offensive game, which last year had him average 16.3 points and 6.1 rebounds on 46.3 percent shooting.
This one wasn't meant to be, no matter how serious the Lakers wanted Bradley. The Pistons had to surrender a starting forward like Marcus Morris to make the deal happen—and if this offseason has taught fans anything, the Lakers don't want to give up other pieces of the rebuild not named D'Angelo Russell.
It might get tiring to hear about missed opportunities. Yet it's almost refreshing to see the Lakers are sticking to their guns about the rebuild after mixed signals and almost random moves in years prior (remember Timofey Mozgov?).
Rest assured the rumblings surrounding the team won't slow—but keep the repeated themes of the summer in mind as the Lakers continue to put out feelers on all options.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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