The LA Lakers are expected to be active in free agency this summer and players like Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, Greg Monroe, LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, DeMarre Carroll, DeAndre Jordan, Monta Ellis and Tyson Chandler could be potential free agent targets on the market and this comes as Los Angeles may get Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns in the NBA draft.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers could potentially have $25 million in cap space to spend over the summer and that would enable them to sign multiple free agents. Mitch Kupchak has said that the team is not trading the number two overall pick and that means a top prospect will also be joining the roster for next season. The Lakers have been looking at Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell as the top prospects for the number two pick and who they select will dictate how the team tackles free agency. Aldridge is expected to be a top target along with Rajon Rondo, while Marc Gasol and Kevin Love are the "dream options" for LA.
Another dream option for the Lakers is Jimmy Butler, who is a restricted free agent from the Chicago Bulls this summer. Chicago is expected to match any offers that Butler gets on the market, but according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Butler is considering meeting with teams in free agency this summer. Wojnarowski writes that Butler may resist the max contract offer that could come from the Bulls while seeking a shorter term deal and if they don't meet his money demands, Butler could force the team to match an offer sheet from someone like the Lakers or Knicks.
Monroe is expected to leave Detroit and reports have him considering the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics as his top two destinations. Monroe may want to stay in the east and if he does that, those two teams are the favorites to sign him, but Los Angeles can give a max contract and that could sway him out west. Aldridge is being pursued by numerous teams, including the Rockets and Mavericks, while Gasol is expected to stay in Memphis. If that happens, expect the Lakers to at least take a good look at signing Monroe.
Earlier in the season it was reported by Shams Charania of RealGM that the Lakers would offer Butler a max contract offer sheet this summer, but now the plans may change based on what Butler is looking to do. Butler will get a $4,433,683 qualifying offer from the Bulls to make him a restricted free agent and once that happens, he will have to plot out how he wants to attack negotiations. The Bulls clearly want to keep Butler, but with teams like the Lakers, Knicks and Celtics coming in with large amounts of cap space, someone could decide to make a big offer and that would put pressure on the Bulls.
Rondo is considered to be a prime target for the Lakers and Bleacher Report writes that the team will look to sign the point guard at a "discount" depending on how the market plays out. The team would love to get Dragic, but he is likely staying in Miami. Reggie Jackson is a free agent option, but he is expected to be staying in Detroit after his trade from the Thunder.
