The Los Angeles Lakers‘ free agency process started slowly as the whole world was waiting on Kawhi Leonard and his decision. Since the Lakers traded almost their entire young core for superstar forward Anthony Davis, they had a lot of cap room to work with. They had enough space to sign a third star in Leonard to create the ultimate superteam. However, they ultimately struck out on the superstar.
Looking back at it, the Lakers didn’t lose. In fact, they created one of the deepest rosters in the league, and they now sit firmly at the top of the NBA universe after free agency.
Free Agency Recap for the Los Angeles Lakers
In the days leading up to Leonard’s signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers made a few moves. They signed sharpshooter Troy Daniels to a minimum deal, which gives Davis and LeBron James more room to space the floor. The Lakers also brought on a hardworking Jared Dudley, who even gave Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers a hard time in the playoffs this past season.
After the Lakers lost out on signing Leonard to form arguably the best big three ever assembled, they kept their heads in the game. Instead of signing players that didn’t fit well with James like they did last year, they went out to sign what works best: three-point shooters.
The Aftermath of Kawhi Leonard’s Signing
The Lakers responded by bringing back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a two-year, $16 million deal, and signed Leonard’s partner-in-crime Danny Green on a two-year, $30 million deal. They then went out and signed point guard Quinn Cook. These three players play a key role in spreading the floor even more, which is especially helpful for James and Davis.
The Lakers turned their attention on filling out the rosters with leaders and hard-working players. They brought back point guards Rajon Rondo and Alex Caruso and made a huge signing in DeMarcus Cousins, who will be able to use this year to potentially revive his career. Cousins and Davis get to team up once again, and if this year is anything like playing with the New Orleans Pelicans, it will be fun to watch. The Lakers finished with signing Avery Bradley, who is a proven defender and will help the Lakers solidify themselves on the defensive end.
All in all, the Lakers finished free agency with a feeling of huge success. Although they missed out on creating the ultimate trio, they made the right moves. Filling out the roster to help James and Davis play to the best of their abilities was the right idea. Moving into this season, the Lakers are a force to be reckoned with.
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