The Los Angeles Lakers clawed their way to a first place finish in the Western Conference. However, the Lakers suffered several setbacks in the NBA bubble. The restart revealed a disturbing lack of scoring and playmaking on L.A.’s bench. If the Lakers have enough cap space this offseason, they should target Miami’s Goran Dragic. He’s an ideal veteran match of the team’s struggling second unit.

3. Price tag

Anthony Davis has a player option for next year. If he turns down the option, he becomes a free agent this coming offseason and can sign with the Lakers for a max, long-term deal. Four other Lakers also possess player options.

Los Angeles could sink a large amount of its cap into re-signing Davis and fulfilling other player options. With only four or five unrestricted free agents, the Lakers won’t have a lot of space opening for new signings.

Based on how the 2019-20 regular season ended, the Lakers need several more playmakers. If the team wants a shot at a title next year, Los Angeles must sign several contributors. Dragic’s salary is over $19 million this season, but he’ll never get that much money on the open market.

At 34 years old, Dragic could take a massive pay cut to play for a contending team. Even if he asks for a deal worth his actual value, the veteran point guard won’t get close to the $19 million range again. After all, Dragic came off the bench for most of the regular season.

Realistically, Dragic is pushing the boundaries of Los Angeles’ available space, but he’s not entirely out of the picture.