If the Los Angeles Lakers are going to add another player to their new-look roster this summer, it will likely be a player from a very, very short list.
Their interest in forward Jonathan Kuminga has been well documented all summer, although it seems their pursuit of him has cooled in recent weeks. Kuminga and his agent still seem to be demanding a hefty new contract, and it is unknown how much the Lakers are willing to give him that type of contract, or whether they can come to terms with the Atlanta Hawks on a sign-and-trade agreement.
Over the last several days, there has been chatter about Klay Thompson possibly coming to the team after a report indicated that he “would welcome a return to Los Angeles,” a market he spent parts of his childhood in. Thompson has one year left on his current contract at $17.46 million, and the Dallas Mavericks are reportedly resistant to buying out his contract.
Per NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Lakers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors are interested in Thompson. However, he wrote that L.A. and Golden State would only be interested in the wing if he were to be bought out and become a free agent.
“Aside from the Heat, two other teams with a level of interest in Thompson are the Lakers and Warriors. Then again, both teams would only have interest in adding the current Mavs’ wing if he were to be a free agent, meaning a potential buyout in Dallas.”
Los Angeles is out of salary cap space and could only offer Thompson a veteran minimum salary. At this point in his career, the 36-year-old Thompson is still a legitimate 3-point shooting threat, but he doesn’t play defense nearly as well as he used to, and his 3-point shooting accuracy has dipped a bit in recent seasons
Overall, he hasn’t been the same player since he tore his ACL in 2019 and tore his Achilles in 2020. The four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star averaged 11.7 points in 21.7 minutes a game and shot 38.3% from 3-point range last season.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insider: Lakers have interest in Klay Thompson if he’s bought out
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
