After introducing D’Angelo Russell, Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown at the practice facility on Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers are shifting their focus to free agency.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, LaMarcus Aldridge will be meeting with the team immediately after free agency begins:
The Lakers are moving quickly, will meet with LaMarcus Aldridge immediately after free agency begins Tuesday at 9:01 pm.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) June 30, 2015
The speculation continues to run rampant about Aldridge’s true intentions in free agency, but it seems clear at this point that the Lakers have a realistic chance of signing him to a long-term deal.
Aldridge is one of many free agents the Lakers will court this summer that could potentially be a game-changer for the storied franchise. Other notable free agents expected to visit with the Lakers are Greg Monroe and DeAndre Jordan.
Kevin Love will also be added to the list, but there’s been no meeting setup between the two parties. Marc Gasol is also another big-name forward/center that’ll become a free agency as of July 1, but the Spaniard isn’t expected to leave or seriously consider signing with a team other than the Memphis Grizzlies.
As for restricted free agents, the Lakers are said to be interested in Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler. Harris is the more likely of the two players to leave his current team with the Orlando Magic seemingly content with not matching lucrative offer sheets for the small forward.
Although the Lakers will have options, the team appears intent on signing Aldridge above all other free agents. Rumors surrounding Love’s interest in the Lakers have been swirling for quite some time, but Aldridge may be the best and most realistic option for Los Angeles at this point in time.
[divide]