As currently constituted, the 2024-25 Los Angeles Lakers will look a lot like the 2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers on the court.
That’s because only two spots on this year’s standard 15-man roster are different. Rookie guards Dalton Knecht and Bronny James are joining the club, while veteran wing Taurean Prince and veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie both left in free agency.
After finishing last season with a 47-35 record and a first-round loss in the Western Conference playoffs, Los Angeles needs to take a step forward. It owes its two Hall of Fame immortals, All-NBA second-team center Anthony Davis and All-NBA third-team forward LeBron James, a chance to compete for a Western Conference playoff spot.
The two most promising names still on the market, former Lakers forward Brandon Ingram (now with the New Orleans Pelicans) and 3-and-D forward Jerami Grant, would certainly raise the club’s level. But how much could either player raise the club’s ceiling?
Ingram is one of the most versatile scorers in the game, though he may not appreciate being sent back to the team that traded him to acquire Davis in the first place. He’s also a defensive liability on the wing, and given how little help Los Angeles has in that area, the former All-Star would be a questionable choice. In his 64 healthy games for the Pelicans (49-33) last year, Ingram averaged 20.8 points on a .492/.355/.801 slash line, 5.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks per night.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst He recently said Ingram wanted a contract extension that would pay him around $200 million (he’s eligible for a four-year deal worth up to $208 million), but the Pelicans blanched at that number. The two sides are still hoping to work out a new deal this offseason.
Grant is clearly the more sensible candidate, given his ability on the other end of the floor and his ability to spread the floor, thanks to a 40.2 percent 3-point conversion rate on 5.1 three-point attempts per night.
On a 21-61 Trail Blazers team, the 2.03-m wing averaged 21.0 points on a .451/.402/.817 shooting average, along with 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks. At 30, Grant may be a little past his athletic prime, but he’s still capable of contributing at a high level. He’s a player the Lakers should target, even if giving up their two future first-round draft picks might be too high a price to pay for Los Angeles president Rob Pelinka.
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