The Los Angeles Lakers have turned over a large chunk of their roster from a year ago. They will have three new starters and several new bench contributors. However, they still need help at the wing position after striking out on Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga.
There aren’t very many options left in the open market in free agency. However, there are a couple of wings who could be brought in on non-guaranteed deals to help build depth. Bleacher Report ranked the top free agents left, and they have Ochai Agbaji as a possible fit for the Lakers.
Ochai Agbaji Seen as Possible Fit for the Lakers
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report believes that Agbaji is one of the best free agents left on the market. He also believes that Los Angeles would be the best fit for him.
“Still just 26 and not far removed from a 2024-25 season in which he averaged 10.4 points while hitting 39.9 percent of his threes, Ochai Agbaji should get a chance to prove he can slot into the back end of somebody’s rotation as a cheap three-and-D option,” Hughes wrote.
Agbaji has not had a lot of opportunity to showcase his talents in the last couple of years. He hasn’t averaged more than 20 minutes per game since he played for the Raptors in 2024-25, when he did average that career-high. He hasn’t proven to move the needle much when he did get those opportunities, though.
Last season, he played just 20 games for the Nets. When he did play for them, he averaged just 16.2 minutes per game. If he could only average that amount of minutes while playing for the worst team in the league, his chances of cracking the rotation for the Lakers are fairly low.
LA could likely sign Agbaji to a non-guaranteed deal, which would give them no risk. If he does make enough threes in camp and preseason, perhaps he could make the roster. However, the fact that he’s listed as one of the five best free agents remaining shows how slim the pickings are.
The Lakers Will Be Trying to Keep Distractions at Bay
Off the court, the Lakers have plenty of distractions they will be trying to keep at bay. They were sold for the second time in about 18 months. Their former owner is under investigation by the SEC for possible wrongdoing with his insurance company.
Jeanie Buss is trying to keep her siblings from selling the minority stake of the franchise so she can continue to be the governor. That’s just the distractions off the court they will try to silence, but the noise on the court will be loud with the changes they have made, too.
Last season, the Lakers had the 11th-worst defense in the league. That’s why Walker Kessler is now on the roster. If he doesn’t work out, the noise will only get louder.
Lakers Seen as Possible Destination for Top Free Agent Left on the Market