While the 2022-23 NBA season is undoubtedly what teams across the league are focused on right now, it’s never too early to look ahead to free agency.
Several very talented players are set to become free agents in the 2023 offseason, and the Los Angeles Lakers will surely be in the mix for some of them.
One NBA executive believes the Lakers will be interested in players like Kyrie Irving, Jerami Grant, Myles Turner and Andrew Wiggins.
“No matter what [the Lakers] do with trades or however they reconstruct this year, they are going to keep an eye on next summer,” the executive told Heavy.com. “That is where they have a lot invested, being able to get another star-type player next summer.
“They’re going to look at Kyrie Irving, of course, but he is probably not their top choice. They will look at Jerami Grant, who they liked for a long time, same with Myles Turner. I think Andrew Wiggins would be a big prize there because he can play two-ways.”
Here’s a look at what each of those players would bring to the Lakers.
Irving
The Lakers seemingly made a push to land Irving this offseason, and at times, it felt like a forgone conclusion that the team would add the seven-time All-Star.
Although that didn’t happen, there has been a lot of buzz about the idea of Los Angeles signing the veteran next summer.
Controversy often follows Irving around, but there’s no doubt that he’s a special talent. He holds career averages of 23.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per contest.
His abilities complement those of LeBron James nicely, which was evident in the 2015-16 NBA season when the two players won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Grant
The Lakers have been linked to Grant before, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they tried to land him next summer.
In recent seasons, the 28-year-old has displayed a lot of growth. He has become a very productive player.
While he has room to improve from an efficiency standpoint, he does a lot of other things well. Since the start of the 2020-21 season, he has averaged 20.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
Turner
Turner is another player that L.A. has been linked to before, and there are probably even some Lakers fans that are hoping the team will add him before or during the upcoming season.
The veteran has spent his entire NBA career with the Indiana Pacers so far. He has made a name for himself as a really solid center on both ends of the floor.
For his career, he has averaged 12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from deep. His ability to stretch the floor is very valuable.
Moreover, he makes a major impact on the defensive side of the ball and has led the league in blocks per game on two separate occasions.
Wiggins
Wiggins made a statement last season, as he earned his first All-Star selection and played a major role in the Golden State Warriors’ title.
The former No. 1 overall pick has become an extremely solid two-way player, and he’d bring a lot to the table for the Lakers.
During the 2021-22 season, he averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from 3-point range.
