Lakers, LeBron James, NBA free agency (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Following an early exit from the 2021 playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up to jump right back into contention next season through NBA free agency.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis getting some well-deserved rest after battling through injuries for most of last season, LA will be right back in the mix. However, despite that guarantee, there were rumblings that they could be looking to make a significant splash this offseason to strengthen their roster even further, and that came to fruition Thursday night with their trade for Russell Westbrook.
With James, Davis, and Westbrook all in the fold, the Lakers have a lethal trio of All-Stars that will be among the title favorites for next season. However, they will be tasked with filling out the rest of the roster as they had to cut ties with several rotational players in the deal for Westbrook.
Although they will be strapped for cash, the Lakers could look ahead to free agency to add some affordable pieces, as players could see LA as even more desirable with this new trio in town.
While there will be many free agents to choose from, one fun exercise is looking at familiar faces, particularly ones that have played alongside LeBron James before. Players have been known to gravitate towards him because his teams will always be in contention, and that could very well be the case this offseason. With that being said, here are three free agents with ties to LeBron that the Lakers should make a run at.
The Los Angeles Lakers could reunite LeBron James and Jeff Green in 2021 NBA Free Agency
Following their blockbuster trade for Westbrook, the Los Angeles Lakers will be scouring the market for depth in the frontcourt. They parted ways with both Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell in the deal, leaving them two sizeable bodies short in the rotation. As they look to fortify the rotation and add some size, one player that could be enticing is Jeff Green.
A veteran journeyman, Green found himself playing alongside James during the 2017-18 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where the pair would make a trip to the NBA Finals. He was a solid bench piece on that team, and he could play a similar role on this Los Angeles team next season as they look to fill out the rotation.
Green spent last season with the star-studded Brooklyn Nets, playing a key role off their bench and occasionally in the starting lineup. Playing in 68 games, the 34-year-old averaged 11 points per contest while shooting career bests in field goal percentage (49.2) and 3-point percentage with (41.2 percent). He provided a solid boost offensively, but his defense also stood out as the veteran allowed Brooklyn to be versatile by guarding multiple positions at a high level.
The veteran will be back on the free-agent market this offseason, and while he is not the most star-studded name, Green could make a big difference for the Lakers.
trade for Russell Westbrook.</a></p>
<p>With James, Davis, and Westbrook all in the fold, the Lakers have a lethal trio of All-Stars that will be among the title favorites for next season. However, they will be tasked with filling out the rest of the roster as they had to cut ties with several rotational players in the deal for Westbrook.</p>
<p>Although they will be strapped for cash, the Lakers could look ahead to free agency to add some affordable pieces, as players could see LA as even more desirable with this new trio in town.</p>
<p>While there will be many free agents to choose from, one fun exercise is looking at familiar faces, particularly ones that have played alongside LeBron James before. Players have been known to gravitate towards him because his teams will always be in contention, and that could very well be the case this offseason. With that being said, here are three free agents with ties to LeBron that the Lakers should make a run at.</p>
<h2>The Los Angeles Lakers could reunite LeBron James and Jeff Green in 2021 NBA Free Agency</h2>
<p>Following their blockbuster trade for Westbrook, the Los Angeles Lakers will be scouring the market for depth in the frontcourt. They parted ways with both Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell in the deal, leaving them two sizeable bodies short in the rotation. As they look to fortify the rotation and add some size, one player that could be enticing is <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/lakers-nba-free-agency-lebron-james/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/greenje02.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Jeff Green</a>.</p>
<p>A veteran journeyman, Green found himself playing alongside James during the 2017-18 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where the pair would make a trip to the NBA Finals. He was a solid bench piece on that team, and he could play a similar role on this Los Angeles team next season as they look to fill out the rotation.</p>
<p>Green spent last season with the star-studded Brooklyn Nets, playing a key role off their bench and occasionally in the starting lineup. Playing in 68 games, the 34-year-old averaged 11 points per contest while shooting career bests in field goal percentage (49.2) and 3-point percentage with (41.2 percent). He provided a solid boost offensively, but his defense also stood out as the veteran allowed Brooklyn to be versatile by guarding multiple positions at a high level.</p>
<p>The veteran will be back on the free-agent market this offseason, and while he is not the most star-studded name, Green could make a big difference for the Lakers.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/lakers-nba-free-agency-lebron-james/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Derrick Rose </a>
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<img class="wp-image-433477 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/lakers-nba-free-agency-lebron-james/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1992,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1055310588.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James, Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Rose" width="3200" height="1992" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1055310588.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1055310588-420x260.jpeg 420w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1055310588-768x478.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Lakers, LeBron James, NBA free agency (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>The Los Angeles Lakers could reunite LeBron James and Derrick Rose in 2021 NBA Free Agency</h2>
<p>Despite adding Westbrook and having another premier playmaker in James, the Los Angeles Lakers will look to add a backup point guard this offseason. One such name that will likely surface in that search is <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/lakers-nba-free-agency-lebron-james/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rosede01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Derrick Rose</a>, a player that the team has been chasing for the past two seasons via the trade market.</p>
<p>Rose and James had a very brief stint together to begin the 2017-18 season, but the 2011 MVP never quite found his footing with the team. He battled through injury, which prevented him from meshing with the team, and was soon traded and subsequently waived. While it appeared the guard might not have anything left in the tank at that point, Rose has since turned his game around and transformed into one of the better sixth men in the league.</p>
<p>The 32-year-old is coming off a stellar playoff run with the New York Knicks that saw him average 19.4 points, four rebounds, and five assists across five games. He may have raised his free agency stock with that fantastic stretch, but the 2011 league MVP has made it clear that <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/lakers-nba-free-agency-lebron-james/"https://hoopshabit.com/2020/07/19/detroit-pistons-now-its-time-to-win-said-derrick-rose-last-offseason/">winning is at the forefront of his mind </a>at this stage in his career, and he will certainly be looking for a situation that would allow him to do that in free agency. It goes without saying that Los Angeles can offer him that.</p>
<p>If he were to sign, Rose would give the Lakers another lethal ball-handler that can orchestrate the offense by scoring the basketball and making plays for others off the bench. The team had been adamant about targeting him over the past few seasons, and that interest could be intact this offseason.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/lakers-nba-free-agency-lebron-james/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Danny Green </a>
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<img class="wp-image-433584 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/lakers-nba-free-agency-lebron-james/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2239,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1273777657.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Lakers: Danny Green, LeBron James" width="3200" height="2239" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1273777657.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1273777657-768x537.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Lakers, LeBron James, NBA free agency (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>The Los Angeles Lakers could reunite LeBron James and Danny Green in 2021 NBA Free Agency</h2>
<p>Following their trade for Westbrook, the Los Angeles Lakers will<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/lakers-nba-free-agency-lebron-james/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/19/lakers-free-agents-lebron-james/"> desperately need to find more shooting</a> this offseason to complement their trio. While there will be no shortage of potential options for them to pursue, one name that could be interesting is <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/lakers-nba-free-agency-lebron-james/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/greenda02.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Danny Green</a>.</p>
<p>The guard has made a living with his sharpshooter from deep, helping the Lakers win the 2020 championship alongside James and Davis. He would be traded to the OKC Thunder the following offseason in a package for Dennis Schroder, but he was not there long as he was soon re-routed to the Philadelphia 76ers to bolster their shooting. The veteran had a fantastic season shooting the basketball by knocking in 40.5 percent of his triples on a career-high 6.3 attempts per game with Philadelphia.</p>
<p>With the Lakers, pursuing a reunion with Green is obvious for spacing reasons. Westbrook has been among the worst long-range shooters from distance since he entered the league, which does not exactly make him the perfect fit next to James and Davis. This is only heightened by the fact that Los Angeles traded away both Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to get him, two players that were serviceable 3-point shooters. If they will make this work, that 3-point shooting will need to be excellent, and Green could help them shore up those efforts as he enters unrestricted free agency.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Lakers: 5 offseason roster moves they need to make" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/25/los-angeles-lakers-5-roster-moves-2/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/lakers-nba-free-agency-lebron-james/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/25/los-angeles-lakers-5-roster-moves-2/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Lakers: 5 offseason roster moves they need to make </a> </div>
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