LA Lakers Rumors Roundup: Klay Thompson considering Purple and Gold as an option, team doesn’t want to repeat previous mistakes, and more
Golden State Warriors veteran star shooting guard Klay Thompson could be open to joining the LA Lakers in 2024 free agency.
In other news, the Lakers are being cautious on the trade market following their four-game losing streak. On that note, here are the latest rumors surrounding the LA Lakers as of Dec. 27, 2022.
Klay Thompson could join LA Lakers in 2024 free agency
The LA Lakers desperately lack shooting, ranking 26th in the NBA in team 3-point percentage at 33.5%. It remains to be seen if the team will be able to add reinforcements by the trade deadline or during next summer's free agency. However, they may eventually be able to find a solution in 2024.
According to Sean Deveney and Jack Simone of Heavy.com, four-time NBA champion and renowned sharpshooter Klay Thompson could join LA in 2024 free agency. An anonymous Western Conference executive explained to Deveney and Simone that Thompson might consider the Lakers as he has connections to LA.
“He could consider it,” the executive said.
“You know, he grew up with his dad as a player, mostly for the Lakers, so they’re a team he could look to leave for. And he grew up near Portland, so the Blazers, there has been talk he wants to play for them," the executive continued.
However, the executive added that Thompson is still loyal to the Warriors as of now, so it's a bit of a long shot.
"But really, he is kind of engrained in the Warriors now. He is such a part of that team and the culture, everything he went through with the injuries, and just his whole laid-back attitude and approach. They love him. It would be hard to imagine him actually suiting up in another uniform," the executive said.
Klay Thompson is already 32 years old and will be 33 in February. This would make him 34 by the time he becomes a free agent in 2024. So it's unclear whether Thompson will still be an effective player by then. Thompson, however, has been a productive shooter and scorer for the Warriors this season. Thompson is averaging 18.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 3.6 3-pointers per game while shooting 39.5% from the field and 37.3% from beyond the arc.
For more on the possibility of Klay Thompson heading to LA, click here.
LA Lakers being cautious on trade market
Despite LeBron James' 30-point performance in seven straight games, the Los Angeles Lakers are still reeling. During that time, the team has gone 2-5, including four straight losses. As a result, they are now 13-20 and ranked 13th in the Western Conference.
This, along with the franchise's previous trade blunders, has reportedly made the Lakers' front office wary of making any risky win-now moves. Jovan Buha of The Athletic provided the report.
Buha explained that the front office in Los Angeles does not want to compound their previous mistakes by sacrificing their future in order to win now with a 13-20 team.
"Reinforcements via trade would obviously help, and the Lakers are still evaluating their options on a dormant trade market. At the same time, it becomes increasingly challenging to justify trading a first-round pick if the group continues to struggle. The front office doesn’t want to compound its previous mistakes with more win-now moves," Buha said.
Lakers front office is still looking at trade options but doesn’t want to ‘compound its previous mistakes with more win-now moves,’ per @jovanbuha https://t.co/iLiCRCQ9yL
Given this report, it's looking increasingly likely the Lakers will retain their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. However, there are still around six weeks until the Feb. 9 trade deadline. So they still have time to further evaluate their options.
For more on the Lakers' trade mindset, click here.
LA Lakers' pathway to a Myles Turner trade becoming more difficult
The LA Lakers have long been rumored to be interested in Indiana Pacers Myles Turner. The Lakers along with the Toronto Raptors, are two teams who have been connected to the big man recently as well. It has been widely reported that if the Los Angeles offers the right amount of draft compensation, they will be able to land Turner.
So they have basically kept a Turner deal on the back burner in case they can't land a bigger name.
However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, a wrench has been thrown into the Lakers' potential plans to wait out a Turner trade. This comes as Indiana has now started contract negotiations with Turner.
“The Indiana Pacers and center Myles Turner have opened up contract extension discussions and are exploring a potential new deal, league sources with direct knowledge of the discussions who are unauthorized to speak publicly on the matter tell The Athletic,” Charania said.
Pacers, Myles Turner open contract extension talks, per sources. Details at @TheAthletic on how Indiana can give its center up to $19 million in additional salary this season alone: theathletic.com/4031652/2022/1…
The report added that March 1st has been identified as the deadline for Turner and Indiana to agree to a contract extension.
So it looks like if the LA Lakers truly want Myles Turner, they will have to up their offer to get a deal done sooner rather than later.
Turner is averaging 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.6 3-pointers per game while shooting 54.3% and 41.3% from three this season.