NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Planning To Target Brook Lopez, DeAndre Jordan In Busy Offseason
The Anthony Davis trade is finally complete, but the work is far from over for the Los Angeles Lakers.
After the team finalized terms on the long-anticipated trade for the New Orleans Pelicans big man, new rumors indicate that the Lakers are looking at two more veteran big men to round out the roster. As the USA Today‘s LeBron Wire reported, the team is looking to bring back center Brook Lopez, who spent the 2017-18 season in Los Angeles before bolting for the Milwaukee Bucks in an effort to shore up the frontcourt.
As Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported, the Lakers are also looking at DeAndre Jordan as a cost-efficient addition to a team looking to rapidly rebuild after a disappointing first season of the LeBron James Era.
“The Lakers, I think, are sniffing around (Lopez),” Windhorst said.
“I think the Lakers need perimeter players. I think they’re going to have to use their money on perimeter players. I know DeAndre Jordan is a guy on the Lakers’ radar that they’re hoping they may able to get for relatively cheap because he wants to be back in L.A.”
Both moves could be important for a team lacking in cap space after the Davis trade would be completed. As LeBron Wire noted, the team will have close to $24 million in cap space once the Davis trade is officially completed, but could also have the possibility of getting to the max-contract slot.
The Lakers reportedly have interest in bringing Brook Lopez back in free agency. https://t.co/uA0DHJv5jY pic.twitter.com/o2bxmTLxqd
— Silver Screen and Roll (@LakersSBN) June 16, 2019
There have been a number of rumors about which players the Lakers may target in free agency, including All-Star Kemba Walker. Several reports have pegged Walker as the team’s top backcourt target, and USA Today columnist Jeff Zillgitt said Walker may be the missing piece that turns the Lakers into a title-contending team. Others have named Kyrie Irving as a potential target as well as Chris Paul, who is reportedly on his way out of the Houston Rockets after clashing with James Harden.
While it’s not clear what plan the Lakers have in addressing their guard needs, it appears that Brook Lopez is a top target to add both size and shooting. After leaving the Lakers, Lopez played a key role for the Bucks as the team reached the doorstep of the NBA Finals. The 31-year-old has developed an outside touch, attempting and making a career-high number of three-pointers last season while making 57.1 percent of his shots overall — also the best mark of his career.
