After taking D’Angelo Russell in the NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers shifted their focus towards the free agency and looked to address their need for a frontcourt player. Greg Monroe, LaMarcus Aldridge, and DeAndre Jordan were all considered targets for the team after the Lakers met with the three free agents earlier in the process.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
Aldridge reportedly considered the Lakers out of the running on Tuesday and the Lakers hoped Monroe could becoming one of their solutions instead. However, it now appears the Lakers have to move their next big man search elsewhere with Monroe agreeing to a terms with the Milwaukee Bucks according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:
Free agent Greg Monroe will sign a maximum contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 2, 2015
The news of Monroe going elsewhere is another blow to the Lakers’ free agent plans. A wild first day of free agency saw a number of players agree to deals with teams with the Lakers failing to secure one. Monroe was the second player the Lakers met with after taking an early flight to see Wednesday.
The team also met with DeAndre Jordan Wednesday night. However, reports had the Lakers as “underwhelming” in their pitch to Jordan. While the Lakers may have missed on their initial targets, the team is still trying to salvage the situation by reaching out to a the thinning free agent market.
Other potential names the Lakers could soon make offers to include Robin Lopez, who some consider the top center left. In addition, Tobias Harris is another option, but is a restricted free agent with the Orlando Magic.
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