Lakers News: LA Likely Bringing Back Key Free Agent Duo, Says Expert
The NBA offseason is in full swing.
The draft is in the books, one where the Lakers got good value in getting both shooting Indiana University guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and Pepperdine small forward Maxwell Lewis, and free agency is right around the corner with the annual money bonanza set to begin on Thursday.
As for free agency, Los Angeles will have plenty of big decisions to make.
The team only has four players from last season's team under contract for next season, leaving a deluge of key pieces set to hit the market this week.
The team already picked up Jarred Vanderbilt's option for next season, but D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dennis Schroder are just some of the names slated to test the market.
That said, LA could bring back two of their key rotation pieces from last season's run to the Western Conference Finals, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
"Assuming LeBron James returns (none of the sources asked have any expectation he retires), the Lakers probably look to roll back much of the roster that got to the Western Conference Finals," Pincus writes. "That likely means matching any offer sheets on restricted free agents Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura."
Both, of course, played a huge part in the team's surprising turnaround, turning each into "must-signs" this offseason.
From everything thus far, it looks like the Lakers will try to return both to the fold in 2023-2024, even though that could cost a significant amount.
Reaves will have plenty of suitors as should Hachimura, and the latter seems open to exploring his options, including a return to LA.
Time will tell whether the organization will be able to re-sign the duo, but as it stands, both of the restricted free agents look like they could be back with the team next season, even if that turns costly.
