Getty Dwight Howard & Markieff Morris of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Things are about to get really busy for the Los Angeles Lakers as they have a large number of players set to hit free agency. Anthony Davis is obviously the top focus but there are a number of key contributors the team should bring back. After his deal is figured out, two players the Lakers could switch their focus to are Dwight Howard and Markieff Morris.
According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the team does want to bring both guys back.
The Lakers are interested in retaining free agents Dwight Howard and Markieff Morris after both had strong seasons and playoff outings.
Howard reinvented himself last season and became a dependable player off the bench. He even got elevated into a starting role when the Lakers reached the NBA Finals. If the price isn’t too high, it makes sense why the team would want him back.
Morris was probably the best in-season addition the Lakers made last season. He was very strong from three during the playoff run and earned a lot of minutes in the rotation. He definitely helped his market with his playoff performance but he seemed to enjoy his time in Los Angeles and could strongly consider staying.
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Executives Believe Davis Isn’t Going Anywhere
Anthony Davis is set to be one of the best players to hit free agency in the last decade but nobody is really talking about it. That’s because everybody suspects he’s returning to the Lakers, according to Turner:
The consensus among NBA league executives is that Davis will return to the Lakers after opting out of a deal that would have paid him $28.7 million.
It wouldn’t make any sense for Davis to leave. They’re going to pay him a boatload of money and he gets to continue playing with his close friend LeBron James. That said, Davis probably isn’t going to commit to the Lakers long-term. His contract is likely to mirror LeBron’s. Considering the superstar probably doesn’t have much more time at the top of the NBA, it makes sense why Davis is going to take things slow.
Lakers Interested in Wesley Matthews
The Lakers are going to want to bring back a lot of the same guys from last season but are going to try to add some pieces. Turner pegged Milwaukee Bucks starter Wesley Matthews as a play to keep an eye on:
Also, free agent guard Wesley Matthews is on the Lakers’ radar
Matthews is likely a target to replace Danny Green, who is supposed to be getting sent to Oklahoma City in the Dennis Schroder trade. Matthews is an older player and he’s probably past his prime. That said, he makes sense on the veteran roster the Lakers have put together. Plus, he wouldn’t cost a big chunk of money and was a starter on a team that won a lot of games last season.
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Lakers’ Plans for Dwight Howard & Markieff Morris Revealed by Insider