Subscribe
Follow Us
The Los Angeles Lakers have been trying to find any way to improve their team after not having much movement when free agency started. Over the past few weeks, they've added Deandre Ayton and recently signed Marcus Smart after he was bought out by the Washington Wizards.
Apparently, the Lakers have been on the phone fielding calls for a few players around the league, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
“After fielding calls for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope when they first traded for him with the Orlando Magic, the Grizzlies have not seen any real conversations materialize for the veteran shooting guard,” Siegel wrote. “The Lakers were a team that spoke with Memphis about KCP after their Desmond Bane trade, sources said.
“Los Angeles also reached out to the Minnesota Timberwolves about Donte DiVincenzo's availability, but the Wolves were not interested at all, sources said.”
Caldwell-Pope would be a familiar face for the Lakers, as he was a part of the team that won the championship in 2021, defeating the Miami Heat in the bubble. He has always been a solid 3-and-D player and would have fit in perfectly with the Lakers now.
DiVincenzo would have been a nice fit for the Lakers as well, but after the Timberwolves lost Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency, they may feel he is a little more valuable on the team.
Lakers still trying to add to roster
The Lakers know they have to keep adding to their roster if they want to compete with some of the best in the Western Conference. It sounds like they are still trying to shore up their guard depth, and Malcolm Brogdon is a player they seem to be interested in.
“The Lakers now have 14 players under contract for the 2025-26 season and are just over $1 million from the first-apron tax line,” Siegel wrote. “While the Lakers could pursue other veterans still available in free agency with their final roster spot, they would first need to free up space to do so.
“(Malcolm) Brogdon, a player Los Angeles expressed trade interest in before the 2025 NBA trade deadline, remains on their radar should the team free up extra funds in a small consolidation trade.”
Adding Smart could be the beginning of more moves down the line for the Lakers, and it looks like players such as Dalton Knecht and Gabe Vincent will be on the trade block so they can improve the team.
