The top of the Lakers free-agent priority list is fairly well established. But the players further down that list could be the difference in chasing a title.
At this point, everyone knows that priority 1A and 1B for the Lakers this offseason is getting Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura re-signed, whether that's just inking them to a new deal or (more likely) matching the offer sheets each restricted free agent picks up elsewhere (allowing each to get a much higher yearly salary than the Lakers could offer).
The exact mechanisms of those re-signings are still to be worked out, but they seem like foregone conclusions. That leaves the Lakers with several other big decisions and holes to fill. D'Angelo Russell is a free agent and the Lakers will need to re-sign him or find some other, more palatable, point guard solution. They also have a team option on Malik Beasley, who faded out of the postseason rotation, and Mo Bamba's salary for next season, which is non-guaranteed and could be waived to clear space before the end of this week. They've been linked with free agents like Draymond Green but he seems to be headed back to the Warriors and L.A. may be priced out of the top-tier of free agents, players like Khris Middleton and James Harden.
Assuming the Lakers decline Beasley's option and waive Bamba, re-sign Hachimura and Reaves in the ballpark of $40 million per season combined and let Russell walk they will have both the bi-annual exception and full non-taxpayer MLE to try and add frontcourt depth and a viable starting point guard with fewer defensive issues than Russell. There are a few different bargains out there waiting to be found who could be exactly what they need.
Sleeper free-agent targets for the Lakers: 4. Dwight Powell
Powell is coming off a three-year, $33 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks but his age (31) and slowly decreasing role with the Mavs the last two seasons could make him a candidate for the bi-annual exception, willing to take a chance to chase a ring with the Lakers on a deal in the two-year, $8-million range.
Powell is not a great rim protector but he's a solid team defender who competes hard on the glass. He's fairly limited at the offensive end but he's a great finisher around the basket and was a favorite pick-and-roll partner for Luka Doncic. He can also play both the 4 or the 5 depending on the arrangement around him, making him a solid third big who can play with Davis in some arrangements and back him up in others, lightening the load.
We're talking about a player with a lot less potential than Mo Bamba, but he could be a lot more impactful this year and he's played in 156 of a possible 162 games the past two seasons. He'd be a reliable two-way presence and a lot cheaper than Bamba, allowing the Lakers to use that money elsewhere.
Sleeper free-agent targets for the Lakers: 3. Dennis Smith Jr.
Smith Jr., through circumstance and the allure of ring chasing in a Lakers' uniform, is another target they might be able to sneak in with the bi-annual exception on a two-year, $8 million deal. He was the No. 9 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft but mostly fell off the NBA radar, working through a variety of injuries and playing in just 94 games total in the three full seasons after he was traded from the Mavericks to the Knicks.
However, Smith Jr. had something of a renaissance last season coming off the Hornets' bench. He again worked through injury, but played 54 games, the most since his rookie season. In just over 25 minutes per game, he averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals. His outside shooting still leaves a lot to be desired but he's become a tenacious defender at the point of attack and found a way to consistently use his athleticism to get into the teeth of the defense, scoring at the basket or creating openings for others.
His shooting numbers look rough — 21.6 percent from beyond the arc and 26.7 percent on long 2s — but he was in a rough offensive situation in Charlotte. Smith Jr. shot 66.4 percent around the basket and better shot selection and more gravity from his teammates could make help push his 3-point percentages towards respectability. He doesn't have the explosive scoring potential of D'Angelo Russell but he'd be a cheap and potentially much more well-rounded option off the bench at point guard.
Sleeper free-agent targets for the Lakers: 2. Donte DiVincenzo
Moving to a slightly more expensive tier of free agent, Donte DiVincenzo could still give the Lakers a cheaper point guard alternative to D'Angelo Russell who provides a much better fit. Where Russell will likely be looking for a contract in excess of $20 million per season, DiVincenzo could theoretically be signed for the full MLE, about $12 million per season. He's coming off a two-year, $9 million deal with the Warriors, exercising his player option to get off early, but he's definitely earned a healthy raise.
DiVincenzo came off the bench last season but averaged 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in just over 26 minutes per game. On most teams, he probably wouldn't be a viable starting point guard and is better suited to a role as a complementary offensive playmaker. But with LeBron, Reaves and Anthony Davis, that won't be a problem for the Lakers.
At 6-foot-4, DiVincenzo has the size to defend both backcourt positions and FiveThirtyEight's RPM rated him as one of the best backcourt defenders in the league last season. He's also become an extremely reliable catch-and-shoot threat, knocking down 39.7 percent of his 3s last season. Like Smith Jr., he lacks Russell's explosive offensive upside but with his well-rounded, 3-and-D-plus skill set and experience as a complementary threat around stars with serious gravity he could be a huge asset for the Lakers.
Sleeper free-agent targets for the Lakers: 1. Bruce Brown
This one may be a pipe dream as Brown as said he wants to return to the Nuggets, even though he made the situation much more complicated by opting out and becoming a free agent. The Nuggets are limited in the yearly salary they can offer him though, and a team like the Lakers could come in with the full MLE, offering him a big raise, a bigger role and a chance to keep winning championships.
On paper, Brown is an ideal fit in the Lakers' backcourt. He's a strong and versatile defender and his ability to play on- or off-the-ball as a point guard could help unlock all sorts of lineup possibilities for the Lakers. On offense, he's a smart cutter who knows how to use space and find seams around an exceptional frontcourt passer — there's every reason to think he could develop chemistry with LeBron similar to the one he had with Jokic. And although he started his career as a shaky outside shooter, he's hit 37.1 percent on 348 total attempts over the past two seasons.
A lot of playoff contenders could be be bidding for Brown's services but if he decides he's willing to leave Denver to lock down a larger deal, the Lakers may be in position to make the most compelling offer in terms of role and championship chances.
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