3 best players Lakers must re-sign in 2024 NBA free agency

Anthony Davis has been a vital piece of the Lakers squad in the past five seasons. Ever since LeBron James recruited the big man, they went on to win the 2020 NBA championship. While the duo never replicated the same success in the following seasons, Davis is undoubtedly one of the key factors why the Lakers are still relevant.

Looking at Davis’ contract, his contract expires after the 2024-25 season. That means he still has one more year before he becomes a free agent again. However, that doesn’t mean that the Lakers can no longer re-sign him during the 2024 NBA free agency.

With King James soon retiring, having Davis as the main face of the franchise could be the change Los Angeles needs. Up until this point, LeBron has been calling the shots. Being under AD’s leadership might turn out to be better. Davis is still young at 31 years old. He has plenty left in the tank to offer his team.

If they do end up re-signing their star big man, the Lakers organization has to provide him with his needs. Davis made it clear that he’s not fond of playing at the center position. With that said, the team should provide AD with a capable big man who can fill his shoes. In addition, the Brow needs a few playmakers who could efficiently feed him the ball the way LeBron did.

Rui Hachimura

Since the Washington Wizards traded him to the Lakers last season, Rui Hachimura proved that he has solid potential. Hachimura played arguably his best season this year. He nearly tied his career-high in scoring (13.8 points) with 13.6 points in the regular season. He also averaged a career-best in shooting with 53.7% from the field overall.

Considering those factors, there’s no denying that both parties benefitted from each other. Hachimura was one of the Lakers’ playoff heroes last season, translating into a trip to the Western Conference Finals. This resulted in the organization offering Rui a three-year deal worth $51 million.

While his contract doesn’t expire until 2026, Los Angeles might want to consider keeping a player of his caliber around longer. With LeBron soon departing from the Purple and Gold, Hachimura might get a bigger opportunity to shine and bud into a brighter star in the league.

Jaxson Hayes

With the end of an era looming around the Lakers, the organization might want to focus on building around a younger core of players. One of the youngest guys on the team right now is Jaxson Hayes, who could enter free agency this year if he opts out of his player option.

As mentioned earlier, Davis needs a center that could fill his shoes if the team decides to grant him the position he wants to play. If the organization can’t secure a big man of that stature outside the team, honing their existing players seems more logical. Hayes is only 24 years old and could learn a lot from AD about becoming an efficient center.

The Lakers could consider re-signing all these players, however, the decision remains up to them.