5 free agents LA Lakers must re-sign in the 2021 NBA offseason

#3 Talen Horton-Tucker

Talen Horton-Tucker #5 dunks in front of Cameron Oliver #23

A restricted free agent on a rookie contract, the LA Lakers' Talen Horton-Tucker has grown by leaps and bounds this past season and is due to get a huge raise in the offseason.

He could explore getting a generous deal from other teams in free agency to see what his market value is and then get the LA Lakers to match the offer in order to keep his services.

There’s a chance they could lose him to another team if a rival GM decides that his value has truly skyrocketed because of his potential. If that happens and he gets a max offer (as per this report), the LA Lakers may have to rethink their options.

Having said that, he is likely to get a more reasonable offer that the Lakers can easily match.

#2 Alex Caruso

Devonte' Graham #4 is guarded by Alex Caruso #4

One player that the LA Lakers have to retain at all costs is Alex Caruso. He will be an unrestricted free agent after the $5.5 million deal that he signed in 2019 expires this summer. Expect him to get paid handsomely in the offseason, hopefully by the Lakers, who own his Bird rights.

not that Lakers fans need another reason to be crazy excited but here is THT and Alex Caruso absolutely everywhere. pic.twitter.com/9ObV6onyaJ

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 11, 2021

Caruso’s defense on the perimeter is one of the main reasons why the LA Lakers had the top defensive rating in the regular season. He gets in the passing lanes, plays tough defense against the best backcourts in the league and provides a spark off the bench.

He averaged 6.4 points a game in the regular season and shot 40.1 percent from three-point territory to go along with 1.1 steals.

#1 Dennis Schroder

Dennis Schroder #17 attempts a steal on Jae Crowder #99

Dennis Schroder could command a salary that may or may not be in the price range that the LA Lakers hope to pay him as an unrestricted free agent.

If he asks for a salary in the $20+ million range a year, which could actually be his price on the market, the LA Lakers may choose to re-sign him. They could re-sign him as a part of a sign-and-trade deal or keep him and stay on the lookout for a potential deal with a player who could be a better fit.

Dennis Schroder w/ the pullup jumper #Lakers 4 #Grizzlies 3 Q1 pic.twitter.com/5g4YJ7JH4R

— 🇸🇵🇴🇷🇹🇸 ②④/⑦ (@B_R_R_D) January 6, 2021

Schroder had a good season and was the LA Lakers’ third-best scorer with 15.4 points and 5.8 assists a game. Unfortunately, the Lakers needed more from him, particularly a three-point shot. He was tied for ninth on the team in threes, with 33.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

The German-born player, however, showed that he could play tough defense on a regular basis, and the Lakers will expect that from him if he stays.

This is a tough call for the LA Lakers. Unless they can find a better replacement on the market, they should keep Schroder on the roster rather than lose him for nothing.

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