The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be among the most active teams in free agency in the offseason as their front office executives are determined to turn the team into a playoff contender again next season.
According to Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today, the Lakers are expected to make a strong push to sign Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler, who is having a breakout year this season.
Butler, who is playing in his fourth year in the league, is averaging a team-high 20.1 points to go along with 6.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. The 25-year-old has been big for the Bulls this season, but his sudden improvement this season could backfire in the summer.
Butler will become a restricted free agent in the offseason after the Bulls failed to convince him to sign an extension before the 2014-15 NBA season started.
With his improved performance, the Lakers are reportedly one of the teams who are willing to offer a maximum deal to the former Marquette standout. Chicago will have to match the offer to keep Butler, but the Bulls have been very conscious about their finances over the past several years.
In the event the Bulls decide to match all offers to Butler, the Lakers will reportedly shift their focus on Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe, who will become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Monroe, who is averaging 15.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this season, will be one of the most coveted free agents in the offseason. The Lakers are expected to compete with the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks should they decide to pursue the 24-year-old power forward.
Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant will likely miss the rest of the 2014-15 NBA season as he is set to undergo surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, but is expected to return next season in what could be his final year.
According to Los Angeles Times, the 36-year-old superstar plans to recruit free agents for the Lakers in July in the hope of ending his career on a high note.
Bryant, who tried to convince New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony to sign with the Lakers last summer, previously said that he is planning to make a recruiting pitch to Rajon Rondo next summer.
Rondo, who was traded from the Boston Celtics to Dallas Mavericks, is expected to sign a new deal with the Mavs in the offseason, but Bryant reiterated that he will not lose hope until the superstar guard signs a deal with another team.
