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The trade market was supposed to be the Los Angeles Lakers' lone avenue to add impact talent during the 2024 NBA offseason.
The basketball gods have opened some additional pathways since. Maybe Lakers exceptionalism is real.
The franchise's good fortune began during the 2024 NBA draft. That's where they nabbed arguably the talent grab's biggest steal getting polished, perimeter-friendly Tennessee scorer Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 pick and later having Bronny James—son of one LeBron James—land in their laps at No. 55.
And say whatever you want about Bronny's NBA outlook, things could have grown awfully uncomfortable had someone else snatched him up, since LeBron, who has a $51.4 million player option for next season, per Spotrac, has yet to lock in his future plans. It's impossible to tell how seriously James would've considered signing elsewhere had a different team drafted his son, but it's also notably impossible rule out that hypothetical.
So, this has already been a productive week for the Purple and Gold. And it might get a whole lot better soon.
As ESPN's Brian Windhorst relayed on The Hoop Collective podcast (h/t RealGM), if D'Angelo Russell opts out of his contract and James takes approximately $12 million less than his max on a new deal, the Lakers could have access to their full midlevel exception.
"If Russell opts out, the Lakers will have a window to do something," Windhorst said. "And, look, LeBron may shut the door shut. But I do think if they had a plan of who they could sign for the full midlevel, they could take it to LeBron and he would at least listen."
Now, it's easy for all of us to say James could leave some money on the table for the betterment of the team, in large part because it's not our money. Yet, there's at least some precedent here. James famously left some money on the table when he joined the Miami Heat in 2010 to help make his superstar pairing with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh possible and for the organization to have some funds left over to bulk up the supporting cast, too.
One could perhaps argue, of course, the upside for that superteam in South Beach justified a sacrifice in a way that L.A.'s current ceiling maybe does not. Having said that, James has already seen he can win with the Lakers (and with Anthony Davis as his sidekick) if surrounded by the right supporting cast, so perhaps the front office can sell him on this vision.
The Lakers weren't great this past season (47-35), but with a duo as dynamic as James and Davis, greatness rarely feels unobtainable. And there are reasons to think it's possible with this group—if it gets the right help, of course.
Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura haven't exhausted their growth potential. Knecht could be a major boost to this club's shooting woes. A healthy Gabe Vincent could prove a better two-way fit at point guard than Russell has been. And while JJ Redick is untested as a coach, his basketball mind is razor-sharp.
You could see James potentially buying into this concept, so long as the right player is available and interested in coming to the club.
The $12.9 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception wouldn't snag a star, but it could absolutely bring in a high-level role player.
Derrick Jones Jr. is an athletic, versatile defender who splashed 43.9 percent of his corner threes during the Dallas Mavericks' playoff run. Buddy Hield's movement shooting might shine alongside a playmaker like James and a movement-shooter-turned-coach like Redick. Jonas Valančiūnas would give L.A. more size, plus consistent post scoring and rebounding along with a pinch of perimeter shooting.
If you want to get a bit more optimistic, perhaps Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would consider reuniting with the Lakers. He averaged the third-most playoff minutes on their 2020 title team and remains a consistent supplier of relentless on-ball defense and accurate outside shooting.
Sure, he'd take a small paycut from the $15.4 million player option he declined with the Denver Nuggets, but maybe the Klutch Sports client would consider it for the chance to suit up alongside James again. Caldwell-Pope, who turned 31 in February, still has enough time (health permitting, obviously) to perhaps take a short-term deal with the Lakers and re-enter the market for a big payday after ideally showing out under the Hollywood spotlight.
The list of possible targets could run a lot longer than this. The allure of the Lakers' brand, being a part of James' legacy and L.A.'s glamour market could all have pull on players who might seem out of the price range on initial glance.
It's an intriguing concept to consider—perhaps intriguing enough for James to play along and for the Lakers' productive offseason to keep moving the right direction.
