The Los Angeles Lakers are ready to enter the free agent market after completing the NBA Draft Thursday and introducing their trio of rookies Monday. While most of the attention has gone towards the teams pursuit of big men, the Lakers are also trying to improve their roster in all positions.
The Lakers are believed to be among the teams interested in bringing in Iman Shumpert after the Cleveland Cavaliers made a qualifying offer and made him a restricted free agent, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard:
Sources: Lakers, Mavericks & Bucks interested in @I_Am_Iman (Shumpert). FYI: @KingJames is a big fan of Shump & his defense.
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) June 30, 2015
The Lakers need some help along the perimeter, and Shumpert could be an interesting target should he agree to an offer sheet. Since the Cavaliers have the right to match any offer deal Shumpert agrees to, it would be difficult to pry him away from Cleveland. Ever since coming to the Cavaliers in a mid-season trade, Shumpert has helped Cleveland with his defense and became key for them during the NBA Playoffs and Finals.
It appears the Lakers are looking towards trying to bring in a wing player with strong defensive capabilities. In addition to Shumpert, the team could also pursue Jimmy Butler, although the meeting between the two parties has been postponed, Khris Middleton, or Tobias Harris who are all restricted free agents as well. DeMarre Carroll and Danny Green are other options for the team should they look for unrestricted ones.
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