LA Lakers are wasting no time in trying to improve their roster as they gear up for NBA title defense in 2020/21. After recently acquiring guard Dennis Schroder from Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers are now reportedly pursuing veteran Wesley Matthews. 

According to NY Times’ Marc Stein, Matthews emerged as one of the Lakers’ top priorities in the free agency. The team believes he would be a great fit for their team, given his three-point ability while also filling the void left by Danny Green, who is going to Thunder as part of the deal for Schroder.

Matthews spent 2019/20 with Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 7.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 36.4 percent from the three-point arc. The 34-year-old player is a career 38.1 percent shooter from deep.

LA Lakers’ success in pursuing Wesley Matthews will depend on how much they are willing to spend on him. They currently have a $9.3 million mid-level exception at their disposal, but there is a sentiment that they want to split it among several players. 

The Lakers will also have to compete with several teams for Matthews’ services. Milwaukee most definitely wants to keep him as part of their efforts to build around MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. At the same time, Matthews could also attract attention from other title contenders like Miami Heat.

The post Wesley Matthews Tops LA Lakers’ Wishes in Free Agency appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo recently decided to opt-out of his contract with Los Angeles Lakers and will become a free agent this offseason. Now, there is a good chance that Rondo stays in LA regardless, but not necessarily in the same jersey.

According to NY Times’ Marc Stein, Rondo emerged as a target for Lakers’ crosstown rivals the Clippers. Stein reports that the Clippers are eager to add depth to the guard position and intend to pursue the 34-year-old player once the free agency opens in November.

Clippers are not pleased with the options they currently have at point guard, given that Patrick Beverley isn’t creative enough and has offensive limitations. At the same time, veteran Lue Williams is a score-first player and not the best choice for the starting lineup.

The organization would like to have a “floor general” and player who can create for others and run the offense efficiently. They believe this would ease the load on their star duo Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, enabling them to be more efficient on the floor.

This makes Rajon Rondo the perfect candidate, given his natural instinct to find his teammates on the floor and put them into a good position to score baskets. Rondo has been an “assistant machine” for the better part of his career, leading the league in assistants per game on three occasions.

Rondo is coming off a solid 2019/20 season in which he made an important contribution to the Lakers’ title-winning campaign. He was especially crucial in the postseason, averaging 8.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game.

The post Clippers Will Pursue Lakers’ Rajon Rondo in Free Agency appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

LA Lakers are wasting no time in trying to improve their roster as they gear up for NBA title defense in 2020/21. After recently acquiring guard Dennis Schroder from Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers are now reportedly pursuing veteran Wesley Matthews. 

According to NY Times’ Marc Stein, Matthews emerged as one of the Lakers’ top priorities in the free agency. The team believes he would be a great fit for their team, given his three-point ability while also filling the void left by Danny Green, who is going to Thunder as part of the deal for Schroder.

Matthews spent 2019/20 with Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 7.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 36.4 percent from the three-point arc. The 34-year-old player is a career 38.1 percent shooter from deep.

LA Lakers’ success in pursuing Wesley Matthews will depend on how much they are willing to spend on him. They currently have a $9.3 million mid-level exception at their disposal, but there is a sentiment that they want to split it among several players. 

The Lakers will also have to compete with several teams for Matthews’ services. Milwaukee most definitely wants to keep him as part of their efforts to build around MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. At the same time, Matthews could also attract attention from other title contenders like Miami Heat.

The post Wesley Matthews Tops LA Lakers’ Wishes in Free Agency appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo recently decided to opt-out of his contract with Los Angeles Lakers and will become a free agent this offseason. Now, there is a good chance that Rondo stays in LA regardless, but not necessarily in the same jersey.

According to NY Times’ Marc Stein, Rondo emerged as a target for Lakers’ crosstown rivals the Clippers. Stein reports that the Clippers are eager to add depth to the guard position and intend to pursue the 34-year-old player once the free agency opens in November.

Clippers are not pleased with the options they currently have at point guard, given that Patrick Beverley isn’t creative enough and has offensive limitations. At the same time, veteran Lue Williams is a score-first player and not the best choice for the starting lineup.

The organization would like to have a “floor general” and player who can create for others and run the offense efficiently. They believe this would ease the load on their star duo Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, enabling them to be more efficient on the floor.

This makes Rajon Rondo the perfect candidate, given his natural instinct to find his teammates on the floor and put them into a good position to score baskets. Rondo has been an “assistant machine” for the better part of his career, leading the league in assistants per game on three occasions.

Rondo is coming off a solid 2019/20 season in which he made an important contribution to the Lakers’ title-winning campaign. He was especially crucial in the postseason, averaging 8.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game.

The post Clippers Will Pursue Lakers’ Rajon Rondo in Free Agency appeared first on toppoptoday.com.