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The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to many top free agent targets, and are expected to make offseason moves with its salary cap space.
If the rumors of LeBron James leaving after this season are true, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to have a lot of money in salary cap space to put pieces around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the future, and there are a few top free agent targets the team already has its eyes on.
Writing for ESPN, Dave McMenamin reported that there are a few names in particular that the Lakers are looking to add.
“An unrestricted free agent who has been discussed internally, sources told ESPN, is Andrew Wiggins, but he has a player option with Miami he could exercise,” he wrote. “Tobias Harris, Quentin Grimes and Dean Wade are other players who fit that profile.”
The Lakers have discussed targeting players like Tobias Harris, Dean Wade, Quentin Grimes, Andrew Wiggins, Tari Eason, and Peyton Watson in the offseason, per @mcten
But specifically as it relates to the latter two, in Grimes and Wade, Los Angeles could make a move on the unrestricted free agents that will likely be hot commodities over the offseason.
Lakers Urged To Add Quentin Grimes In Free Agency
Writing for LakeShowLife.com, Svyatoslav Rovenchuk discussed how adding Grimes, a brief former teammate of Doncic, could be a great addition on the wing. Grimes was a restricted free agent last season and signed a one-year qualifying offer with the Philadelphia 76ers over the summer.
His averages of 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists are down from those he put up last season, but Grimes has played a much more limited role with the team now that they have standout rookie V.J. Edgecombe.
“Grimes has understandably taken a step back in his production after so many 76ers returned for their share of the offensive pie this season. That does not mean the Lakers can’t still expect a strong presence alongside Doncic should the two be reunited,” Rovenchuck wrote. “Grimes’ skill set should be as attractive to Los Angeles as it was to Dallas when envisioning him alongside Doncic.”
Doncic and Grimes played just a half-season together before both were dealt at the 2025 trade deadline, but with the prowess he showed late last season, adding him on a team-friendly deal over the summer could be a smart move for the Lakers with their projected cap space.
Lakers Eyeing Dean Wade As Top Free Agent Target
Along with Grimes, Rovenchuck wrote a separate article about how the Lakers should target Wade, as he was one of the players mentioned by McMenamin that the team is eyeing this summer.
Wade, while yet to become a consistent starter with the Cleveland Cavaliers, could offer much-needed size, rebounding, and shooting for Los Angeles in 2026-27. He is in the last year of a three-year, $18.5 million contract, and would likely come in on a similar deal to the Lakers.
“Wade is an ideal low-maintenance type of player on offense. The same reasoning for why the Cavs forward has always fit well beside their stars during the core four era would be similar behind why he would mesh well with Doncic,” Rovenchuck wrote on the wing player. “In the meantime, Wade can serve a strong role on the defensive end. The Cavs forward has always been very switchable on that end of the court, and capable of handling some of the tougher defensive matchups that come his way.”
Adding a defensive wing like Wade would also be a strong addition for the Lakers, as while injuries are a concern for the forward, having a bit more of a safety net on that side of the floor would be beneficial, playing alongside Doncic and Reaves.
While just a thought, the Lakers could make a sign-and-trade deal between James and Wade, as the rumors linking the former back to his old team have only grown over the past few weeks.
Along with Grimes and Wade, McMenamin mentioned Peyton Watson, Tari Eason, and Wiggins as other potential targets. Each might garner a larger contract, and while the franchise will need to save some cap space to add another rim-protecting big man, all of those wing players would be solid additions next to the two backcourt stars.
What is clear is that James all but certainly won’t be on the Lakers roster next season, and as McMenamin wrote, their quiet trade deadline was due to their focus shifting to the offseason, and the moves that can be made by adding a few of the top free agent targets.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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