Lakers' 2024 Free-Agent Big Board, Top Players to Target

The Los Angeles Lakers shouldn't have much money to spend in 2024 NBA free agency.

The only way they'd gain real flexibility is by both LeBron James and D'Angelo Russell ditching their player options and heading elsewhere. And then they're just left filling sizable holes with a roster that already wasn't good enough to escape the opening round.

The top two items on the front office's offseason to-do list revolve around trades and talent retention. We'll jump a step or two down that list and focus on finding three external free agents who could conceivably both fit the limited price range and have something to contribute to next season's club.

3. Andre Drummond, Chicago Bulls

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MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 19: Andre Drummond #3 of the Chicago Bulls looks on against the Miami Heat in the third quarter during the Play-In Tournament at Kaseya Center on April 19, 2024 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)

The Lakers landed Andre Drummond on the buyout market to help with their 2021 playoff push, and they had a hard time keeping him off the floor. He started all 26 games he played for the team (including five postseason tilts) while supplying size and strength around the basket, plus a stat line that almost always featured double-digit points or rebounds, if not both.

He has since taken his talents to a few different places and basically done the same exact thing. He may not always be a locked-in starter, but he'll always make a nightly push for a double-double while controlling the paint.

L.A. needs a stable presence like that behind (and at times alongside) Anthony Davis. Christian Wood was plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Jaxson Hayes was big and bouncy but not always seen in the box score.

Both could be on next season's roster—Wood already picked up his player option, Hayes has until June 29 to decide on his own—and that might still not stop the Lakers from searching for a backup big man. Drummond is one of the most productive you'll find, yet he could still fit the price range as 30-year-old, role-playing, interior-bound bigs aren't exactly breaking the bank the modern free-agent market.

2. Lonnie Walker IV, Brooklyn Nets

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 14: Lonnie Walker IV #8 of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 14, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

It was not at all surprising to see the Lakers play their best basketball once former coach Darvin Ham put his five best players in the opening lineup: James, Davis, Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.

The only drawback of starting games with that quintet is it effectively stripped this squad of its second-team scoring. Once Ham went to that lineup in early February, L.A.'s reserves went on to average a league-worst 17.1 points per game.

If the Lakers want to up the power of their bench's scoring punch, old friend of the franchise Lonnie Walker IV could help. He looked good handling spark-plug duties for the 2022-23 team, including delivering three double-digit performances during their conference semifinals takedown of the Golden State Warriors.

He had some good moments in Brooklyn this season, but he was sort of running on fumes by the end. He scored double-digits in 12 of his first 15 games for the Nets, then later missed that mark in 12 of his final 15 outings. That frigid finish could wind up moving him to the clearance section, where the Lakers would be wise to snatch him up.

1. Gary Harris, Orlando Magic

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CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 05: Gary Harris #14 of the Orlando Magic warms up before Game Seven of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on May 05, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

The Lakers probably aren't signing anyone for their starting lineup this summer. If they change that quintet at all, the adjustment will almost assuredly occur on the trade market.

What they could hope to find in free agency, though, is someone capable of sharing the floor with and supplementing those starters. It'd have to be someone who can hold his own defensively, convert outside shots and keep the ball moving when his looks aren't open.

Someone like the best version of Gary Harris, actually. When he is right, he has been a key contributor on some really competitive clubs in Denver and Orlando. His defense is tireless, and his three-ball is generally on target (though he's had a couple of really down seasons from distance).

It's possible rival front offices will value him at a level the Lakers can't afford, but between his durability issues (fewer than 70 appearances in all but one season), his limitations as an inside-the-arc scorer and the fact his latest season was quieter than most (fewest points and minutes since his freshman campaign), there are reasons to buy his bargain potential.