The Los Angeles Lakers coaching search is over, with JJ Redick officially replacing Darvin Ham as head coach. With the first big offseason move out of the way, new NBA rumors have already surfaced about what Los Angeles will do next.
The two biggest storylines of the Lakers offseason are now what they do with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and whether or not they draft Bronny James. It’s already been reported that drafting Bronny in the first round isn’t under consideration, but Los Angeles has heavily shopped its first-round pick.
Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell and Dejounte Murray are known to be among some of the Lakers trade targets this summer. However, with limited draft capital and only a few young players to move, Los Angeles likely couldn’t win a bidding war against the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder or Houston Rockets for a top player. Instead, the team might have to shift its focus to secondary targets.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, Portland Trail Blazers wing Jerami Grant is believed to be on the Lakers wishlist of targets. Of note, Grant is a client of Klutch Sports and has a relationship with Rich Paul.
Jerami Grant stats (ESPN): 21.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG< 2.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 45.1% FG, 40.2% 3PT
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Portland is in a clear rebuild and while the 2024 NBA Draft isn’t talent-rich at the top, there is some depth in it. A deal with the Lakers could both offload Grant’s contract and give the Trail Blazers another first-round pick to potentially build a team around.
Jerami Grant contract: $29.793 million salary (2024-’25), 432 million salary (2025-’26), $34.206 million salary (2026-’27), $36.413 million player option in 2027
Grant would be one of the more realistic Lakers trade targets, as there would be less competition for him and he fits more in the team’s price range. However, there is also a name to keep an eye on in NBA free agency.
Jonas Valanciunas stats: 12.2 PG, 8.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 55.9% FG
Fischer also notes that center Jonas Valanciunas has been mentioned by many around the league as a name to watch for Los Angeles. The thinking is that the Lakers might want to add a reliable center alongside Anthony Davis and Valanciunas would fit that role.
As of now, it seems likely that the Lakers will trade their first-round pick to upgrade their rotation and then use a second-round pick on Bronny James. While LeBron is poised to become a free agent, the expectation is he’ll re-sign with the Lakers this summer.
