Lakers rumors: 3 buyout players LeBron needs to convince to sign in L.A.
By Ian Levy
The Lakers made their big move, sending out Russell Westbrook at the trade deadline. But their roster still has holes LeBron can help them fill on the buyout market.
After months of wrangling, the Lakers finally found a Russell Westbrook trade they could live with. On Tuesday night, they finalized a three-team deal sending Westbrook and a first-round pick to the Jazz, bringing in D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt, with Mike Conley and a second-round pick going to the Timberwolves.
The Lakers still have their 2029 first-round pick and the contract of Patrick Beverley to work with so there may be another trade coming. But in the meantime, we can start to imagine how they might fill any additional roster holes on the buyout market after the deadline comes and goes.
Who should LeBron be recruiting to the Lakers on the buyout market?
3. Serge Ibaka
It’s not clear how much Serge Ibaka still has in the tank but the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks presumably can’t find a trade is probably a sign he’s running on fumes. The 33-year-old big man has appeared in just 16 games this season, he’s hitting just 33.3 percent from beyond the arc and his athleticism has declined to the point that he’s no longer a vertical spacing threat rolling to the rim. If the Bucks can’t find a trade for him, they may just buy him out and try and sign someone who can help with their wing depth.
But Ibaka is still an experienced frontcourt veteran who can block shots and body up with opposing bigs like Nikola Jokic, Steven Adams, Jonas Valanciunas and Domantas Sabonis — even if it’s just 10-15 minutes a night and mostly to burn through some fouls. The Lakers appear to have aspirations for a championship push this season and having another big body they can count on to save Anthony Davis from wear and tear in certain playoff matchups could be essential.