Lakers Rumors: Dinwiddie, Taurean Prince Contracts Eyed amid LeBron James, Klay Buzz

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to make some big moves in free agency as they look to re-sign LeBron James and pursue Klay Thompson, but they're reportedly also hoping to retain a couple of their veterans.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Lakers are interested in re-signing both point guard Spencer Dinwiddie and swingman Taurean Prince.

After being traded from the Brooklyn Nets and waived by the Toronto Raptors, Dinwiddie signed with the Lakers in February. He appeared in 28 games with four starts and averaged 6.8 points and 2.4 assists. Prince, who signed with the team last offseason, was a key depth piece in his first year in Los Angeles with averages of 8.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 78 appearances with 49 starts.

On Saturday, James opted out of the final year of his deal with the Lakers which would've been worth $51.4 million, and he intends to negotiate a new deal with the team. His agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that the 39-year-old is willing to do a team-friendly deal that would help Los Angeles improve the talent around him and star forward Anthony Davis this offseason.

"He is prioritizing a roster improvement," Paul said. "He's been adamant about exuding all efforts to improve the roster."

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski echoed those sentiments, reporting on Sunday's episode of SportsCenter that James would be open to taking a pay cut if the Lakers can add an "impact player" with the mid-level exception, which would be worth $13 million. Wojnarowski named Thompson, James Harden and Jonas Valančiūnas as potential pursuits for Los Angeles.

It's not surprising that the Lakers are hunting for some of the biggest names on the free agent market, but they will also need depth pieces like Dinwiddie and Prince if they hope to establish themselves as one of the top contenders in the Western Conference next season.