Once again, the Los Angeles Lakers entered the offseason with plenty of targets.
They were reportedly keeping tabs on James Harden and Jonas Valanciunas, both of which have already signed with other teams.
Klay Thompson is another one of their alleged candidates, which is why LeBron James wants to make sure they get something done.
According to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the four-time NBA champion reached out to Klay Thompson as soon as free agency started to try and get him to the Lakers (via ClutchPoints).
“I’m told LeBron James called Klay Thompson right when free agency opened… These conversations, this negotiation will go into tomorrow. There probably will not be a resolution tonight.”
ESPN’s Woj on LeBron James recruiting Klay to the Lakers 👀pic.twitter.com/9EXQdg4HBF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 1, 2024
Woj added that Thompson and his agent would be in touch with multiple teams, so he didn’t expect any resolution to happen soon.
LeBron knows Thompson’s impact firsthand, as he was on the losing end of the NBA Finals against him three times earlier in his career.
Thompson isn’t the player he used to be, particularly on the defensive end of the floor, but he’s still one of the most proficient volume shooters in the history of the game.
His ties to the Lakers are obvious, as his father, Mychal, used to play for the Showtime Lakers, and he actually grew up rooting for them.
Moreover, playing next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis should grant him plenty of wide-open shots, which could help him drive his confidence and value back up after a disappointing end to his tenure with the Warriors.
Still, Thompson should take his time to make such a major career decision.
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Lakers Have Reportedly Explored Trading For Trail Blazers Veteran