LeBron James in considering retirement after the Lakers were swept out of the conference finals. If he leaves, the Lakers need to get busy in free agency.
The Los Angeles Lakers have LeBron James under contract for the 2023-24 season at roughly $46.9 million. He then has a player option for $50.6 million in 2024-25 — theoretically, the year his son enters the NBA. None of that matters if LeBron decides to hang up his shoes early.
After the Nuggets swept LA out of the conference finals on Monday, LeBron spoke frankly with reporters about his mindset ahead of the summer. He said he will consider retirement; he has to. At 38 years old, with 20 years of NBA mileage on his body and several recent injuries weighing on him, it’s hard to blame the King.
There has been debate over the sincerity of LeBron’s comments: some are calling it a leverage play to force the front office to pursue Kyrie Irving, others are arguing that he simply wants to reorient the spotlight back on himself and the Lakers after Denver’s advancement.
If James does in fact retire, however, the Lakers would need to work hard to make up for his absence. The place to start is free agency.
Free agents the Lakers should pursue if LeBron James retires:
3. Fred VanVleet
If the Lakers want to build around Anthony Davis, there is still a path to contention on some level even without LeBron. Kyrie Irving is probably the flashiest name on the market, but the Lakers should be inclined to pursue more reliable, inexpensive options if James is out of the picture.
Fred VanVleet and the Raptors have been trending in the direction of a breakup for some time now. Maybe the firing of Nick Nurse convinces VanVleet to give it another go, but the Raptors just finished ninth in the East and VanVleet looked like a shell of himself for stretches of last season.
Still, the 29-year-old provides defensive toughness and reliable playmaking at the point guard spot. The Lakers have probably been scared off of D’Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroder has the ability to walk in free agency. Austin Reaves is a significant threat to bounce to another team too, but LeBron’s retirement could free up more cap space for the Lakers to re-sign him.
Regardless of how the Reaves situation plays out, VanVleet is a good target. He can set up Anthony Davis out of the pick-and-roll, bolster the Lakers’ perimeter shot creation and shooting numbers, and he’s a proven commodity in the playoffs. He would be a significant upgrade over Russell.
2. Bruce Brown
The Lakers should be familiar with what Bruce Brown brings to the table at this point. Brown has been an important figure off the Nuggets’ bench all season, stuffing the stat sheet and doing the small things to help Denver secure the 1-seed and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Brown is one of the league’s absolute best role players. He doesn’t create his own offense, but he’s a good enough 3-point shooter to keep the defense honest (35.8 percent) and he’s an excellent finisher around the rim. He has a real knack for off-ball movement and connective playmaking. He’s always cutting, relocating, and making snappy decisions with the ball. He’s a real lubricant for the offense.
At 6-foot-4, Brown is a remarkably versatile defender. His 6-foot-9 wingspan allows him to defend much taller than his listed height and while his frame appears wiry at first glance, he is quite stout at the point of attack. He battles for position and is comfortable switching 1-4 in a lot of matchups.
The Lakers will need someone to fill minutes on the wing if LeBron retires. Brown won’t replace James’ self-creation or rim pressure, but he’s a willing and free-flowing passer who can absolutely start for a competitive team. Brown is due for a significant pay raise this summer, but the Lakers should have the flexibility to make it happen with James’ contract off the books.
1. Shake Milton
Shake Milton is the ultimate buy-low candidate for the Lakers. He obviously won’t reach the same heights as the greatest player since Michael Jordan, but Milton does have some untapped potential as a lead playmaker with size and positional versatility at 6-foot-7.
The Sixers smothered Milton under a mountain of guard depth last season, with James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and De’Anthony Melton all (understandably) taking priority. Milton was out of the rotation once the playoffs arrived, and yet he could still make too much money for the Sixers to keep him (but not too much to dissuade the curious Lakers).
Between Nov. 19 and Dec. 2 this season, Milton registered eight straight starts for Philadelphia with Harden and Maxey both out due to injury. Over that stretch, Milton averaged 21.3 points on .547/.455/.964 shooting splits and dished out 6.0 assists per game. When given enough reps in the driver’s seat, Milton is capable of putting up numbers.
He’s a unique player: not particularly quick or shifty, but preternaturally gifted in the art of difficult shot-making. Milton has mastered the contested mid-range jumper and he’s quite skilled at using his 7-foot wingspan (!) to avoid defenders at the rim, hanging and stretching on layups to circumvent the shot-blocker. He’s not a great defender, but he’s big and switchable at his position with enough athleticism not to get roasted guarding 2-4. He would be a worthy upside swing for the Lakers, especially with D’Lo looking unplayable in the playoffs and Schroder being a candidate to leave in free agency.