The Los Angeles Lakers have had a very active week.
Shortly before the draft, the team went out and acquired Dennis Schroder from the Oklahoma City Thunder in return for Danny Green and the No. 28 pick.
Two days after the draft, LA signed veteran swingman Wesley Matthews to a one-year, $3.6 million deal. The 34-year-old was reportedly extremely intrigued by the prospect of filling a void left behind by Green.
Beyond those two moves it appears the Lakers are also still in the market for another big man. Regardless of what ends up happening with JaVale McGee on the trade front, team general manager Rob Pelinka is said to be taking a hard look at two names in particular.
The first is former Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol.
According to @ramonashelburne, the Lakers are looking to upgrade the center position, and Marc Gasol has been a name floating around. đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/Dn2xy6pwc2
— Hoopsview (@hoopsview) November 20, 2020
The second is LeBron James’ former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Tristan Thompson.
Paulina Gretzky knows how to celebrate. https://t.co/CH5WJHxifE
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 20, 2020
“The Lakers would love to land Tristan Thompson, an ex-LeBron James teammate in Cleveland who would shore up the front line,” Sports Illustrated NBA insider Chris Mannix wrote this week.
“The Raptors, who could lose both Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, are expected to pursue the Toronto-born big man. With Andre Drummond opting into the final year of his contract, Thompson’s time with the Cavs could be over.”
Thompson and James played alongside one another for a four-year stretch between 2014 and 2018. In that span they reached the NBA Finals each and every season and won one NBA championship.
Poor Kyle Kuzma out here catching strays. https://t.co/AoWC9QuGv6
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 18, 2020
In 2019-20 Thompson averaged 12 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in 57 outings while he played out the final season of his four-year, $82 million deal. It will be interesting to see what sort of money he commands this year, and how his ties to Klutch ultimately play into the situation.
Gasol, meanwhile, averaged 7.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 42.7 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from beyond the arc and 73.5 percent from the free-throw line in 44 regular season outings for the Toronto Raptors.
In the postseason those numbers became 6.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists over the course of 11 games.
Yikes. https://t.co/9PwWKJnIcH
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 18, 2020
During a recent interview, Gasol indicated that the one thing that mattered most to him was playing for a championship-contending ball club.
“I want to help my future team to win on a consistent basis and contend for the championship. I don’t see myself playing for a rebuilding team,” he said.
The Lakers would certainly fit the bill.
One way or another, LA is clearly not done making moves this offseason. What will the next one be? Time will tell.
Related: Russell Westbrook Is Blocking A James Harden Trade
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
