The Lakers have a lot of decisions to make this offseason. LeBron James has a player option and while he will most likely stay with the Lakers they must do everything in their power to retain him — including finding offseason additions who complement him on the court and who he’ll enjoy sharing the lockerroom with. That might mean finding old teammates, old friends and others repped by the same agent.
Here are three free agents with ties to LeBron that would further entice him to stay with the purple and gold for the final stretch of his career.
3. Miles Bridges
Miles Bridges is a Klutch sports client just like LeBron. Furthermore, the two have a known connection — frequently talking after games and Bridges even attended one of Bronny James’ AAU games with LeBron back in 2018. LeBron has also been known to repost many of Bridges’ highlights on social media. The connection certainly runs deep.
Bridges would be a highly controversial addition due to his off-the-court actions and domestic violence record which caused him to miss the entire 2022-23 season. However, basketball-wise he’s an ideal fit for the Lakers. The athletic versatile forward would provide the Lakers with some much-needed secondary scoring and shot creation.
Bridges averaged 21.8 points per game last year he is both an athletic finisher and a solid floor-spacer shooting 34 percent from beyond the arc last year. This would give the Lakers the extra offense punch they desire while giving them a dependable forward next to LeBron and Anthony Davis — something the Lakers need as none of Rui Hachimura, Taurean Prince, or Cam Reddish truly stuck last year. Given Bridges’ off-the-court issues, he could be available for somewhat of a discount price making him a very realistic target for LA.
2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
The Lakers have been missing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ever since they traded him as a part of the Russell Westbrook deal. KCP was teammates with LeBron during his first three seasons with the Lakers and was an integral part of the Lakers 2020 championship. Caldwell-Pope is also a part of Klutch Sports, further connecting him to LeBron.
This offseason Caldwell-Pope has a $15 million dollar player option and there’s a solid chance he will opt out. With D’Angelo Russell’s contract likely off the books the Lakers could sign KCP to a similar amount. The trouble is prying KCP away from Denver who highly values his services.
However, with connections to LeBron and Lakers along with a possible large contract offer landing Caldwell-Pope is still on the table. Basketball-wise KCP fit couldn’t be better. Caldwell-Pope is one of the league’s best role players and his 3-and-D abilities would be incredibly valuable to Lakers.
1. Klay Thomspon
There has been perhaps no free agent more linked to the Lakers than Klay Thompson. LeBron and Thompson famously faced off in the Finals four straight years from 2015-2018. Despite being rivals during this period the two have maintained a solid relationship. Thompson notably appeared in Space Jam: A New Legacy with LeBron.
Thompson had a tumultuous season with the Warriors and his five-year, $189-million dollar contract is set to expire this offseason. The Warriors could be looking to start a new era and moving off Thompson is a strong possibility. While Thompson isn’t the same player as he was in the 2010s he still can provide plenty of value, especially to the Lakers.
On the season the Lakers ranked 29th in both 3-point attempts and 3-point percentage. Thompson is a little bit streaky at times but remains a 38 percent shooter. His floor spacing and knockdown shooting would be immensely valuable to the Lakers.
It’s been said for years that Thomspon would be the perfect teammate for LeBron and that’s for good reason. Additionally, Thompson grew up in LA and his father played for the Lakers. This adds to an extra incentive on Thomspon’s end. The trouble will be figuring out how much he is worth and what the Lakers can afford to pay him.