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LeBron James gets into GM mode for Lakers’ Klay Thompson recruitment

Posted on July 1, 2024 - 9:08 am by

Klay Thompson was clearly on LeBron James’ speed dial amid the Lakers’ pursuit of the future Hall of Famer.

The Los Angeles Lakers are always under pressure to deliver a championship product on the hardwood year-in, year-out. The offseason provides hope that, perhaps, the Lakers could once again find the right pieces to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with a championship-caliber roster. And at the start of free agency, James wasted no time trying to set things in motion amid the Lakers’ pursuit of future Hall of Famer Klay Thompson.

                                                                                                                         



James, as soon as the free agency clock began to tick, reportedly had Thompson on dial to try and convince him to join the Lakers amid the franchise’s pursuit of banner 18, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

“I’m told LeBron James called Klay Thompson right when free agency opened [at] 6 PM Eastern,” Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter, via ClutchPoints Twitter (X).

However, Klay Thompson still isn’t on the verge of making a final decision; as per Wojnarowski, he expects the process of recruiting Thompson to last until tomorrow at the very least.



“These conversations, this negotiation will go into tomorrow. There probably will not be a resolution tonight,” Wojnarowski added.

As much of a struggle as the 2023-24 season was for Klay Thompson, he remains a hot commodity on the free-agent market due to his championship experience and excellent floor-spacing capabilities. He may not be capable of being the second option on offense anymore like the Golden State Warriors needed him to be this past season, but Thompson should still be a high-level role player who commands a ton of respect on the perimeter given his body of work as a marksman.

The Lakers are also looking to add more 3 and D wings, as their roster hasn’t exactly featured a high-level player of that archetype ever since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was traded back in 2021. LeBron James has had so much success throughout his career while being flanked by shooters of a similar caliber to Thompson, so it’s not too difficult to understand why James is doing whatever he could to convince the 34-year old shooting guard to join the Lakers.



Lakers are not alone in the Klay Thompson sweepstakes

As mentioned earlier, Klay Thompson is still a sought-after player in free agency due to the hand and glove complementary nature of his game. He is a plug-and-play piece who could impact any contending team, as he could both shoot off movement actions as well as off the catch.

Joining the Lakers as Thompson’s most prominent suitors are the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers. The Mavs have already made a few moves this offseason, trading for Quentin Grimes and signing Naji Marshall to be the de facto Derrick Jones Jr. replacement. However, it appears as though they’re not done maneuvering quite yet. Considering how they struggled to space the floor in the NBA Finals, adding Thompson is an amazing way to solve one of their roster’s most pressing shortcomings.



Meanwhile, the Clippers are in a bit of a transition phase; following another short-lived playoff run marred by injuries, Paul George has decided to take his talents elsewhere, Russell Westbrook is on the way out, and Mason Plumlee is soon to be an official member of the Phoenix Suns roster. Adding Klay Thompson gives the Clippers a sniper to replace George; but is adding a 34-year old guard really the best idea for a team that lacks athleticism and speed across multiple positions?

The Lakers, however, have LeBron James, and having a man who wields such influence could help sway Thompson’s decision in the Purple and Gold’s favor. Only time will tell, however, if James’ recruitment works out.

Busy offseason still ahead for LeBron James and company

The Lakers have already finished some orders of business this offseason; they brought in JJ Redick as the team’s new head coach and they also re-signed Max Christie to a four-year, $32 million deal. LeBron James is also going to return in an eventual team-up with his son Bronny and he is even willing to take a pay cut if it means that the Lakers could bring in additional talent aboard.



But the Lakers should also be a busy team on the trading front. They have a few first-round picks that they can dangle in addition to the very tradeable contracts of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent, among others. If the right deal is available, perhaps even Austin Reaves or Jarred Vanderbilt could be involved, although the inclusion of Reaves is very much unlikely given how highly the Lakers rate him.

With James approaching 40 years of age, expect the Lakers to shoot for the stars this offseason.