The Los Angeles Lakers’ roster for the upcoming NBA season is largely set, but they would love to add a starting-caliber wing or forward by the end of the summer. Their options as far as doing so aren’t exactly great, however.
They have been in pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga, the 23-year-old 6-foot-8 forward who has plenty of untapped potential, but it looks like they cannot come to terms with the Atlanta Hawks on a sign-and-trade deal. As the summer has moved along, it has seemed more and more like Kuminga simply won’t end up with the Lakers, and that perhaps he isn’t the player who will sufficiently solve their need for a starting wing or forward.
Los Angeles may therefore have to think outside the box. According to Christian Clark of The Athletic, the Dallas Mavericks have explored trades involving Klay Thompson, who has spent the last two seasons with them, and Clark also wrote that Thompson would like to come to Los Angeles.
“At this point, it remains unclear if Klay Thompson — the Mavericks’ leading 3-point shooter in each of the past two seasons — will be back in Dallas for a third year. The Mavericks have explored his trade market but have yet to find a deal, multiple sources with rival teams told The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss any potential negotiations. Thompson is owed $17.5 million this season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027.
“My understanding is that Thompson would welcome a return to Los Angeles, where he spent part of his childhood and still owns a home.”
Thompson is considered one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, and even at this stage of his career, where he is a shell of his former self, he’s still a real threat from beyond the arc. This past season, he made 38.3% of his 7.6 3-point attempts in 21.7 minutes a game.
The problem with him is that after the ACL and Achilles injuries he suffered several years ago, he has become something of a statue on the defensive end, and that would be a problem for a Lakers team that needs plus defenders on the perimeter. Thompson was once an excellent defender during the heyday of the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty, when he made the All-Star team five straight times, but not any longer.
The 36-year-old’s father, Mychal, once played for the Lakers in the late 1980s and won two NBA championships with them. The younger Thompson spent his high school years in Orange County, where he became a big star at Santa Margarita Catholic High School.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Report: Klay Thompson ‘would welcome a return to Los Angeles’
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
