Now that the draft lottery has concluded, the Los Angeles Lakers are more confident with their offseason plans.
After successfully acquiring the head coach they wanted (Luke Walton) and keeping their draft pick, the Lakers can now decide what they will do with their cap space.
The team can clear as much as $ 62 million based on the figures from Real GM which can allow them to shape their roster. As always, the Lakers will pursue the biggest free agency names like Kevin Durant, Hassan Whiteside and even LeBron James as he's technically a free agent (and he actually met with teams last offseason) but at the same time, pursue mid-tier free agents and sign them quickly.
This is exactly what team site Lake Show Life recommended. Mid-tier free agents want to cash in but most of them are not used to the huge figures thrown their way in this summer where most teams have cash.
Take Jeremy Lin for instance. He's paid at a criminally low bargain price of $ 2.2 million but there are reasons why he did not push for his market value. Now that he has the chance to cash in, it's unlikely that Lin will become greedy as fit and comfort matters to him.
While Lin has played for the Lakers before and it did not turn out rosy, he would understand that everything was wrong when he was with them-the team was possibly tanking and their coach was Byron Scott. Also, Kobe Bryant was struggling with his last legs.
All of that has changed now and Lin may want a piece of the Tinseltown pie again now that Luke Walton is in charge and most likely will push the offense. Lin could thrive in that system.
Lake Show Life drops that "though Lin has said publicly that he'd like to re-sign with Charlotte, he's a player that could really fit well into the Lakers as they've clearly taken steps forward since his last stay here." Lin could play with Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell to form a three-headed guard combo.
Another Charlotte Hornet that the Lakers could target is Marvin Williams. The Hornets have openly declared that Nicolas Batum will be their main priority. This could provide a narrow window that the Lakers could take advantage of.
Williams has shown a multitude of skills in Charlotte, something the Lakers need. His averages of 11.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and one block per game in 28.9 minutes and percentages of 45.2 from the floor (including 40.2 long range) depict a player worth spending for.
The Lakers will take risks but they still need to be smart and realistic this season. Marquee players are great, but players like Lin and Williams are worth shooting for as they can improve the team they're in. Better to take a chance on mid-tier free agents than come home empty handed.