The Lakers are looking at an offseason with a ton of cap space and a handful of roster spots available, but how are they going to use these resources to build a winner around Luka Don\u010di\u0107?<\/p>\n
They are flirting with being a top-four team in the Western Conference, but to truly be a contender, they need a productive summer that brings in the right players.<\/p>\n
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Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest player that could be on the market. The Lakers are reportedly expected to make a \u201chard push\u201d at Giannis<\/a> if he becomes available, but what if he doesn\u2019t come to LA?<\/p>\n In a recent article, Dave McMenamin of ESPN<\/a> outlined some of the players the Lakers are potentially eyeing for what could be a busy offseason.<\/p>\n 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. Tobias Harris, Quentin Grimes and Dean Wade are other players who fit that profile.<\/p>\n The Lakers have also privately discussed restricted free agents Tari Eason and Peyton Watson, sources told ESPN, and could land the latter if Denver, which already has $215 million in salary committed to returning players for next season, doesn\u2019t match the offer sheet.<\/p>\n Wiggins has been linked to the Lakers since last summer. Back then, it was reported that the\u00a0Heat\u2019s asking price was too high,<\/a>\u00a0and Wiggins stayed in Miami.<\/p>\n During the trade deadline, he was also in rumors connecting him with Los Angeles<\/a>.<\/p>\n The draw Wiggins has is clear, he\u2019s a wing that can give the team another scoring option on the perimeter. Wiggins is averaging 15.9 points and shooting 39% from 3-point range. The issue, as McMenamin states in his article, is that Wiggins can opt into his player option, making it harder to acquire him.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n A player the Lakers can pursue without any friction is Tobias Harris. He\u2019s an unrestricted free agent, and his 13.4 points per game would be an upgrade at the wing position.<\/p>\n With other names currently being mentioned, such as Quentin Grimes and Peyton Watson, it\u2019s clear the Lakers are in pursuit of some improved wing depth.<\/p>\n The offseason is the next chance they\u2019ll have to upgrade that position or chase for a superstar like Giannis, so all eyes will be on the Lakers\u2019 front office to see if they can get the job done and make LA the team to beat in the NBA again.<\/p>\n You can follow Edwin on Twitter at\u00a0@ECreates88<\/a>\u00a0or on Bluesky at\u00a0@ecreates88.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/p>\n