The Los Angeles Lakers are currently attempting to solidify their spot as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, even though their title hopes just got dealt a major blow with Luka Doncic‘s latest injury update. Doncic is set to be sidelined indefinitely after suffering a hamstring injury, so if he misses time in the postseason, that is going to make it very difficult for the Lakers to go on a deep playoff run.
The offseason may arrive sooner than expected as a result of Doncic’s injury, but the good news is that general manager Rob Pelinka and the rest of the front office have been preparing for the end of the campaign for quite some time. And as a result, it sounds like the Lakers have already set their sights on a pair of restricted free agents.
Lakers Set to Target Peyton Watson, Tari Eason
The upcoming offseason is going to be a hectic one for the Lakers. Questions about LeBron James’ future have been swirling for months, and it seems likely that he will be departing, or even potentially retiring, rather than returning for the 2026-27 campaign. That would allow Los Angeles to build around Doncic and Austin Reaves, assuming it can sign the latter to a long-term contract extension.
Assuming James does depart, the Lakers are going to have a big hole to fill on their roster. Rather than signing another star to team up with Doncic and Reaves, though, it seems like L.A. is going to attempt to revamp its roster with role players who fit in alongside the star guard duo. A pair of names who have already emerged as targets are Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets and Tari Eason of the Houston Rockets.
Both Watson and Eason are set to be restricted free agents, and they both may be finding their way to new teams this offseason, depending on how much money their respective teams want to spend. The regular season hasn’t even concluded yet, but according to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, it sounds like Los Angeles is intent on “aggressively” pursuing both Watson and Eason.
“Players like Tobias Harris, Tari Eason, and Peyton Watson are among early free-agent targets for the Lakers,” Siegel reported. “Watson and Eason are among several restricted free agents this summer, and both players could be on the move given their respective teams’ financial hardships.”
Should the Lakers Sign Peyton Watson, Tari Eason?
GettyPeyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets
Watson and Eason have similar styles of play, as they both are versatile wings who can knock down threes at a high rate and play strong defense. Watson is enjoying a career year for Denver (14.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 49.1 FG%), while Eason has remained a key piece of Houston’s rotation, even with the arrival of Kevin Durant (10.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 41 FG%).
Of this duo, Watson is probably the better offensive player, while Eason is better defensively. It’s really a matter of what the Lakers are looking for when it comes to picking between the two, as they don’t need to sign both guys. With Los Angeles’ playoff hopes having taken a hit, Pelinka and the front office may want to set their offseason plan in stone, because it may arrive sooner than initially expected.
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