Nick Wass/Associated Press
The Los Angeles Lakers’ roster looks much different than it did two weeks ago. And there could be more changes to come before the start of the 2021-22 season in October.
The biggest move made by the Lakers so far this offseason was the acquisition of point guard Russell Westbrook, who will form a big three with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, Los Angeles had to send Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the draft rights to Isaiah Jackson to the Washington Wizards in exchange.
But the Lakers have filled those roster spots with free-agent signings. They’ve brought in veteran forward Carmelo Anthony, as well as Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn and Kent Bazemore, while also re-signing Talen Horton-Tucker.
Not only that, but Los Angeles announced on Friday that it had given head coach Frank Vogel a contract extension.
As moves continue taking place and the rumors keep swirling, here’s some of the latest offseason buzz surrounding the Lakers.
Schroder Remains Available on Free-Agent Market
After spending the 2020-21 season with the Lakers, point guard Dennis Schroder is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. And while many players have signed with new teams, the 27-year-old remains available.
The latest rumor involving Schroder has him linked to the Boston Celtics. According to Keith Smith of Spotrac, there has been mutual interest between Schroder and the Celtics. But it appears the sides haven’t yet been able to work out a deal.
“Boston is interested in only a short-term deal, ideally one year. Schroder is still looking for more money than the Celtics can offer and/or a longer deal,” Smith tweeted.
It’s unknown exactly how much money Schroder is looking for, but he turned down a four-year, $84 million extension with the Lakers in March, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. So it will be interesting to see if he will still be able to make that much during free agency.
NBA reporter Marc Stein recently shared that the Dallas Mavericks have “zero interest” in Schroder. That’s one potential landing spot that seems won’t work out for him.
Last season, Schroder averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists in 61 games while shooting 43.7 percent from the field. It was his eighth NBA season after spending five with the Atlanta Hawks and two with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While Schroder is a strong player worthy of being a starting point guard, will there be any team willing to pay him the type of money he’s looking for? If not, he could potentially be on the free-agent market for a while longer.
Lakers Could Have Sent Gasol to Minnesota?
Although the Lakers have brought in some noteworthy new players this offseason, they’ve also lost some of their key contributors from recent years. That includes point guard Alex Caruso, who signed with the Chicago Bulls after spending his first four NBA seasons in Los Angeles.
Caruso may be in Chicago now, but there was a scenario in which he could have gone to a different team. And not only that, but it would have included the Lakers parting ways with veteran center Marc Gasol.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Minnesota Timberwolves were “in on” Caruso before he signed with the Bulls. And during Shelburne’s recent appearance on The Lowe Post podcast, she shared how this deal would have unfolded.
“It would have been a sign-and-trade, and [Minnesota] actually would have taken back Marc Gasol. Like that could have been salary cap relief for the Lakers, not just a trade exception,” Shelburne said on the podcast (h/t Corey Hansford of Lakers Nation).
Gasol is set to make nearly $2.7 million during the 2021-22 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next offseason. The 36-year-old is a 13-year NBA veteran, but last season was his first with the Lakers. He averaged 5.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 52 games.
It’s likely that Gasol will still have a role for Los Angeles during the upcoming season, although it brought back Howard in free agency. Of course, there’s still two months until the season begins, so it’s possible the Lakers could still move Gasol if that’s something they have interest in doing.
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