The Los Angeles Lakers have not done much this offseason. The Lakers were dispatched from the playoffs for the second straight time and, in pretty easy fashion, by the Denver Nuggets. As a result, the Lakers were expected to be active this offseason, looking to improve the team in LeBron James’ final years.
James even offered to take less than the max after opting out of his $51 million player option. But to no avail.
The Lakers were linked to several free agents who have been key starters for their current teams. But it was one particular player that the Lakers missed on, despite the team making a significant offer, that disheartened a former member of the famed Showtime Lakers.
Former “Showtime” Lakers Champion Not Happy With How Team’s Offseason Has Turned Out
So, who was the player Los Angeles missed out on who upset one of the Lakers’ own, and who is the former player?
The player was Klay Thompson, who reportedly spurned a four-year, $80 million offer from the Lakers to take a three-year, $50 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks. As you can imagine, Thompson’s father, Mychal Thompson, who works on the Lakers radio team, was a little disappointed.
“I’m not feeling too much in a congratulatory mood right now,” Mychal Thompson told SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday morning, talking about Klay’s new deal.
“You know, because, I mean, obviously, it’s Klay’s decision. It’s his life,” Mychal Thompson said on the radio show. “He’s a grown man, 34 years of age, just like we were 34 at one time. And our fathers used to give us advice and, you know, we would choose our own path and that’s fine, that’s what life is supposed to be about.
“… I’m really disappointed. I was hoping, as you can assess, that he would be a Laker. And it was close. It came down to the Lakers and the Mavs, but the Mavs won out. But you know me, I was hoping and praying he’d finish his career with the Lakers.”
“The franchise has been so good to me and my family, including Klay. He grew up a Laker fan. He grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant like most players his age, most kids his age. So I just thought it seemed like it would be the perfect fit for him to finally come back home.”
Mychal Thompson, a former No. 1 overall pick, won two NBA championships with LA and played for the Lakers from 1987 to 1991.
Lakers Were Intriguing To Klay
ESPN reported that Klay found the Lakers intriguing. As his father explained, Klay grew up as a Laker and Kobe fan, and it probably didn’t hurt that they offered him the most money.
But in the end, Dallas was Thompson’s top choice, ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne and Kendra Andrews said in an article today.
He loved the way the Mavericks played and believed he’d be an ideal fit alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, sources said. He came into a dinner meeting with the Mavericks’ front office having studied tape of the team and already projecting out how he could help them.
Lakers Current State
Even though the Lakers “struck out” in free agency, they are among the few teams with a full 15-man roster. The Lakers completed their roster earlier today, with James re-upping for two years and $103.7 million and Bronny James inking a $7.90 million, four-year contract. James’ contract includes a no-trade clause and player option for 2025-26.
The Lakers officially signed 2024 first-round choice Dalton Knecht to a four-year, $18.48 million rookie scale contract on Tuesday.
With a full roster, the only way the Lakers can now improve their team is by making a trade. The Lakers are over the second apron following the signing of the James’ with allocations totaling $190.8 million.
What assets do the Lakers have to make a trade?
D’Angelo Russell has been the player most frequently mentioned as a trade candidate. But the Warriors reportedly said no when the Lakers and Warriors discussed a possible sign-and-trade for Thompson.
It was also recently reported that Brooklyn was open to a reunion with Russell, but New York Post’s Brian Lewis said late last night, don’t expect that to happen.
Rui Hachimura, Jared Vanderbilt, Knecht, and either the Lakers 2029 or 2030 first-round choices since the Lakers can’t trade picks in consecutive years or their own first-rounder in back-to-back years.
Moreover, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, appearing on SportsCenter earlier today, said the Lakers aren’t interested in using their tradable draft picks to move off contracts but would be open to including draft assets for a quality player.
