The Los Angeles Lakers have made a couple of moves in NBA free agency thus far. Those two moves are the signings of Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton.
Rob Pelinka has added two pieces to help fix the issues the team had last season. However, there are still more moves that need to be made.
On the outside looking in, the Lakers need more help defensively on the perimeter. They also need to add more depth off the bench.
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With that in mind, a new potential free agency target has come up.
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According to a report from NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Los Angeles is among the list of teams interested in former Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins.
Scott reported that there is a long list of teams interested in the 23-year-old guard.
“Coming off the best season of his career, 23-year-old free agent guard Ryan Rollins has drawn interest from the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote.
Bringing Rollins in would be a low-cost, high-reward type of signing for the Lakers. He could end up developing into a rotation piece with high upside.
During the 2024-25 NBA season with the Bucks, Rollins played in 56 games and made 19 starts. He averaged 6.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.8 steals in 14.6 minutes, while shooting 48.7 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from three-point range.
Those numbers give optimism that Rollins has a lot more room to grow. He’s a two-way wing who could really help Los Angeles defensively.
Obviously, the Lakers have a few questions to answer. The biggest question has to do with the future of LeBron James.
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A lot of rumors have come out about a potential trade sending James out of town. Should he stay, Los Angeles would likely to making one last run with James and Luka Doncic before the longtime superstar leaves town or retires next offseason.
Rollins could be a valuable piece to the puzzle this season. He could help the team compete right away, but also be a long-term piece around Doncic following James’ departure.
Expect to see the Lakers remain active. Rollins is a clear target, although there are plenty of other teams who could sign him instead.
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