The Los Angeles Lakers had a pretty disastrous 2018 regular season compared to expectations, missing out on the postseason despite getting LeBron James in free agency. With a huge offseason coming for the team, many are beginning to wonder what players the Lakers will target in free agency. According to one source, the team could have their eyes on some big man help.
In a report from Sean Deveney of Sporting News, he noted that sources have told him that the Lakers have an interest in Utah Jazz center Derrick Favors. While the Jazz currently have a team option on Favors, they’ll have to exercise that by July 6th or he’ll become a free agent. Favors wouldn’t be a big-name splash for the Lakers, but his ability to reliably score and rebound could be big for a Lakers team searching for stability, especially on the interior.
During the 2018-19 regular season, Favors was a big piece for the Jazz, averaging 11.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks on just 23.2 minutes per game. While he didn’t have to play that many minutes thanks to the talented Jazz bench and his shaky offensive fit next to Defensive Player of the Year favorite Rudy Gobert, Favors still contributed heavily to what made the Jazz successful, and could be in for a sizable payday should the Jazz choose to not exercise their team option on his contract.
Not only would Favors likely bring some veteran leadership to the Lakers, but he would also serve as a solid forward option for the team, either in the starting lineup or coming off of the bench depending on who else they're able to bring in this summer. While it remains to be seen if Favors would want to accept a lesser role, getting a chance to play for the Lakers and compete again for an NBA Championship could be appealing.
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