NBA rumors: Lakers interested in Greg Monroe, Kyle Lowry, more
By Bryan Rose
The Los Angeles Lakers have money to spend and if they get their way, they’ll be doing so by signing LeBron James and/or Carmelo Anthony. But if they’re left at the alter by one or both players, they already have a backup plan which includes the pursuit of a handful of fellow free agents.
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According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers are said to pursue a combination of Greg Monroe, Kyle Lowry, Trevor Ariza and Channing Frye if they’re spurned in free agency by Melo and Lebron.
"If they are unable to land Anthony or James, the Lakers are also expected to have a strong interest in Washington free-agent forward Trevor Ariza, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, Detroit center Greg Monroe and Phoenix forward Channing Frye, according to sources."
It’s not the first time that Lowry or Monroe have been linked to the Lakers this offseason, though the fact it comes from Shelburne gives it much more credibility.
Of course, obtaining somebody like Monroe won’t be easy given his restricted free agent status while Kyle Lowry is likely to have multiple bidders for his services. The same can be said for Ariza, who is familiar to Lakers fans after spending the early portion of his career in Hollywood. Channing Frye meanwhile is reportedly being recruited by Andre Iguodala, a member of the Golden State Warriors as the two were college teammates.
It would be a bit perplexing to see the Lakers use their cap space on talented though not elite level players, so maybe the Buss family has something else up their sleeve.