LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are in need of a big offseason. After failing to make the playoffs in what was an incredibly disappointing 2018-19 season, the Lakers have the cap space to make some big moves this offseason. They also have the young assets to make a blockbuster trade.
Magic Johnson is no longer running the show in L.A. He decided to step down from his role, leaving Rob Pelinka as the general manager and the man in charge of coming up with roster decisions. The pressure is on for the Lakers, as they cannot afford to miss the playoffs two straight years with “The King” leading the way.
While names like Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Kevin Durant have ruled the rumor mill within the Lakers' fan base, there are some other free agents the team should consider targeting.
One of those free agents is Indiana Pacers impending free agent forward Bojan Bogdanovic, who is coming off of a career season.
Last year with the Pacers, Bogdanovic ended up averaging 18.0 points per game to go along with 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He shot 49.7 percent from the field overall and knocked down 42.5 percent of his three-point attempts.
Those numbers show why the Lakers should strongly consider targeting him. They are in need of perimeter shooting and Bogdanovic is one of the best in the league. He has also improved his defense and ability to get to the rim.
Los Angeles must focus on bringing players in who fit alongside James. The roster that Magic and company put together last offseason simply did not fit together. James has always played with shooters, but that was not the case this year.
At 30 years old, Bogdanovic still has another contract left playing at a high level. L.A. could even try to sign him to a lucrative two-year contract. Bogdanovic will be looking for a pay raise, but it is likely that he will be looking for around $15-17 million.
Indiana would like to keep Bogdanovic, but that price would be out of their range. They want to add other pieces that can help them build around Victor Oladipo. That could open the door for a team like the Lakers to swoop in and steal him.
Granted, Bogdanovic is not the player that can take the Lakers from missing the playoffs to contending for a championship. They would need to sign him along with a superstar. An offseason that saw the Lakers add a player like Irving or Leonard and Bogdanovic would be a major win for Los Angeles.
It will be interesting to see what Pelinka and the Lakers have in mind this offseason. There are quite a few holes that the team will need to fill. Perhaps an Anthony Davis trade could be in the works as well.
No matter which direction they decide to go for a star, the Lakers are going to need a player with the skills that Bogdanovic brings to the court. Shooting coupled with decent defense and improved playmaking should be attractive to L.A. He may not be a perfect free agent, but he is one of the top potential fits for the team this offseason.
Expect to hear Bogdanovic mentioned in rumors with quite a few teams interested in him. The Lakers are certainly one team that should consider pursuing him and bringing him in could help push them back into contention with the Golden State Warriors in the West.
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