Lakers may target veteran forward if he enters buyout market.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Lakers made a significant move to bolster their roster by executing a surprising trade to acquire Luka Doncic before the trade deadline. They also added Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets, which further enhances their team depth.<\/p>\n
Lakers could target P.J. Tucker for additional frontcourt support.<\/p>\n
However, after a failed trade attempt for center Mark Williams, the Lakers are in need of more frontcourt depth. A veteran player could soon become available through the buyout market.<\/p>\n
Veteran forward P.J. Tucker is currently with the Toronto Raptors, having been part of a multi-team trade involving Jimmy Butler III. However, he is not expected to play for them and is likely to enter free agency via buyout, though the exact timing remains unclear.<\/p>\n
“P.J. Tucker, a defense-first forward with a championship pedigree from the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks, is set to be a key buyout candidate this season after being traded off the L.A. Clippers earlier this month. He could be an invaluable asset for the Lakers, who are seeking more defense in the frontcourt,” noted Sports Illustrated\u2019s Alex Kirschenbaum.<\/p>\n
Tucker has not played this season as he waits for a new opportunity, and the Lakers could offer him just that, given their roster needs. A defensive specialist with the ability to hit occasional corner threes, Tucker could significantly enhance a Lakers team whose expectations have risen recently.<\/p>\n
Tucker could provide energy for the Lakers\u2019 bench.<\/p>\n
At 39 years old, Tucker has only appeared in 31 games since last season, so there is some risk in adding him. Nonetheless, the 13-year veteran could immediately impact the bench and bring veteran leadership to complement LeBron James, offering a boost to younger players.<\/p>\n
If Tucker enters the buyout market, the Lakers should pursue him to secure much-needed depth. Until then, they will rely on their current frontcourt of Jaxson Hayes and Alex Len to deliver solid minutes alongside stars Doncic and James.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles will play their first game post-All-Star break against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lakers may target veteran forward if he enters buyout market. The Los Angeles Lakers made a significant move to bolster their roster by executing a surprising trade to acquire Luka Doncic before the trade deadline. They also added Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets, which further enhances their team depth. Lakers could target P.J. Tucker […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2586],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lakers"],"yoast_head":"\n