Lakers Rumors: Latest Gossip on Pau Gasol and Free-Agent Targets
Not many teams are going to have a busier summer than the Los Angeles Lakers.
The team is engaged in full-on rebuilding mode following a dreadful 27-55 campaign, but with only Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre on the books for next season, that rebuild doesn't have to take long.
While it's going to take multiple major splashes in the free-agent market, the Lakers are one franchise capable of doing just that. There is no shortage of players who would jump at the chance to play under the bright lights of Hollywood next to the Black Mamba.
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Let's take a look at the most recent rumors surrounding the Lake Show as they attempt to work back to relevancy in the West.
Pau Gasol's Future in L.A. Looking Bleak
Bringing back Pau Gasol is not only an ingredient in the Happy Kobe Bryant recipe, but it's important for Los Angeles' success.
The veteran center averaged 17.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just 31.4 minutes per contest last season. Bryant's absence led to a higher usage rate (26.4 percent, the highest since his third year in the league), which helps explain the uptick in numbers, but the Spaniard is still clearly a very valuable piece at 33 years old.
According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in the driver's seat to acquire the big man:
As ESPN's Marc Stein and Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears noted, however, that's surprising considering OKC's lack of pocket change:
Still, even if Gasol ultimately decides on a fatter contract, there are still suitors, as Stein reported:
The Lakers are still hard on Gasol's trail, according to ESPN LA's Dave McMenamin, but it's beginning to look more and more like he will end up in a new uniform next season.
Free-Agent Targets: Lance Stephenson, Isaiah Thomas, Caron Butler
According to ESPN's Chris Broussard, the Indiana Pacers offered Lance Stephenson $44 million over five years, which the volatile guard quickly declined.
Several other teams have gotten into the mix, and Broussard states the Lakers and the Bulls are among those who have expressed the most interested.
Everyone loves to talk about Stephenson's antics in the playoffs or his propensity to cross the line into clinically insane at times, but he's a classic case of a player you hate...unless he's on your team.
Stephenson averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 0.7 steals per contest last season. Despite the major increase in usage and minutes, he set career highs in field-goal percentage (49.1), three-point percentage (35.2) and true-shooting percentage (56.4).
Let's compare him to another popular free agent, who also happens to be coming off his fourth season at age 23, courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com:
| Lance Stephenson | 35.3 | 13.8 | 7.2 | 4.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 | |
| Gordon Hayward | 36.4 | 16.2 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 | |
| Lance Stephenson | 49.1 | 35.2 | 56.4 | 106 | 101 | .130 | 14.7 |
| Gordon Hayward | 41.3 | 30.4 | 52.0 | 104 | 111 | .062 | 16.2 |
Different circumstances and all that, obviously, but there wasn't a huge difference between the two in terms of production, and Gordon Hayward is reportedly set to receive a max offer, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
Stephenson gets a lot of flak, but if he comes at somewhere well below the max line (say, $10 million), he would be a tremendous piece for the Lakers on both sides of the ball.
If Mitch Kupchak and Co. think the price is wrong, another option for a second-tier star could be Isaiah Thomas. According to Pro Basketball Talk's Aaron Bruski, the Lake Show have expressed interest in the restricted free agent.
Not only would he come cheaper (Bruski puts conversations in the $6-8 million range; hello, steal), but the Seattle native grew up a Lakers fan, as Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy noted:
Thomas has developed into a stud on the offensive end. One of the quickest players in the league, he is electric off the pick-and-roll and is steadily improving as a passer and shooter. Last season, he averaged 20.3 points and 6.3 assists, while his PER (20.5) was fifth-best among all qualified guards. Better than Kyrie Irving, Kyle Lowry, John Wall, Damian Lillard and others.
He's also the owner of one of my favorite stats ever: In all three of his seasons in the NBA, he has had a true-shooting percentage of exactly 57.4 percent.
There are concerns about his defense, and Sacramento can match any offer, but the interest in Thomas is warranted. He is absolutely a rising star in this league.
Finally, according to USA Today's Sam Amick, there have been whispers about Los Angeles having interest in Caron Butler.
He's not on the same level as Stephenson or Thomas, but the veteran small forward can shoot the ball and play a valuable role off the bench.
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