The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly have a ‘big-time’ interest in acquiring Atlanta Hawks star DeMarre Carroll this summer, although they will face competition.
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This summer will be a critical time for the Lakers as they not only have the No.2 overall pick in the NBA Draft 2015 on June 25, but they also have significant salary cap space to play with.
It is widely expected that they will make big moves in free agency to bolster their roster, and with Kobe Bryant retiring at the end of next season they will hope to acquire the right players to ensure that they are in the right hands moving forward.
It remains to be seen who they use their Draft pick on with Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor expected to be the top two picks with the Minnesota Timberwolves selecting first, but speculation does continue to link them with various free agents around the league.
“With his defense and versatility, one league exec estimated his next deal at more than $15m per year. The Lakers, a source said, have big-time interest in DeMarre Carroll,” the Sporting News reported.
However, Sean Deveney went on to add that both the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons will also be enquiring about the Hawks small forward, as he has certainly caught the attention of a number of teams with his performances this year.
The 28-year-old will receive a salary raise this summer, but it is difficult to determine whether he will be as effective on another team or he is merely as good as he is because he fits well with this Hawks team and knows his role with talented players around him to support him too.
The Lakers will have Bryant, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, Jordan Hill and a whole host of new faces ahead of next season, but it is unclear at this early stage if Carroll will be one of them.
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