The 2025 free agency period will offer a crucial opportunity for a team with limited trade assets like the Los Angeles Lakers to make the most of their resurgent ’destination’ status. The roster needs to be properly filled out around their two superstars, and this would be a great way to do it.
The Lakers will have a long list filled with areas of need, including: center help, bench depth and scoring, wing defense, shooting, plus more. Some of those are must-haves, whereas others fall closer to ’nice to have.’
Despite the Lakers’ 50-win record this season, a true contending team will be hard to field without hitting some of those key targets. With Los Angeles set to face challenges from navigating the cap as well, securing a handful of key free agents on budget-friendly deals would go a long way.
Clint Capela
Clint Capela is the most obvious center target than can practically be secured, and fits well with the Lakers roster, in the upcoming free agency period. Rob Pelinka would need the veteran center to be comfortable taking a bit of a pay cut in the process.
Capela was paid $45.9 million over his last two-year contract signed with the Atlanta Hawks. Before that, the Swiss center was earning $90 million on a five-year deal given to him by the Houston Rockets. Perhaps Capela would be feeling generous about a discount after those last two deals.
The 31-year-old center is certainly creeping towards the latter stages of his career. However, at 8.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game in 55 appearances with the Hawks last year, the Lakers would certainly welcome that kind of presence down low.
Ty Jerome
Ty Jerome was set to be a well-paid man in 2025 free agency before a disappointing second-round series against the Indiana Pacers. This is where the Lakers can come in feeling optimistic.
If there was enough reason provided to caution teams against a big market for the free agent point guard, Pelinka could swoop in and hand out a ‘prove it’ deal to Jerome. There are certainly much worse stages to have the NBA world pay attention to you than Los Angeles.
As a trade-off, the Lakers would get to enjoy the shooting, scoring, and playmaking from Jerome off the bench as they push for a title together. That is a win-win for both parties.
Malik Beasley
Malik Beasley already got a crack in Hollywood after joining the team during the 2022-23 NBA season via trade. The initial run with the Lakers was far from ideal.
However, Beasley is coming off a season where he was second in the entire NBA in 3-pointers made with 319 going through the bottom of the bucket. That kind of spacing next to Luka Doncic and LeBron James would be a gift.
Everyone loves a good redemption story. If teams are still wary of the veteran sharpshooter, the Lakers should give Beasley his.
