Los Angeles Lakers: 5 bargain targets during 2018 NBA free agency

The Los Angeles Lakers could turn their attention to the bargain bin during 2018 NBA free agency if their pursuit of LeBron James and/or Paul George pans out.

There are so many “what ifs” when it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ upcoming offseason. What if they sign LeBron James AND Paul George? What if they find a way to trade Luol Deng? The list goes on and on, and yet we won’t have answers to these questions anytime soon.

Still, the speculation continues. So instead of stifling the conversation, I want to take a slightly different approach. Let’s say the Lakers pull it off and land at least one of their superstar targets. That’ll be a big boost for this franchise’s playoff potential as well as its payroll. If that’s the case, the Lakers could turn their attention to the free agency bargain bin.

But just who will be in there when that time comes? As luck would have it, there should a handful of intriguing options to choose from if and when the Lakers decide to become thrifty shoppers.

Not all of the players on this list are going to be starters, or even high-impact bench guys. That doesn’t mean signing them would serve no purpose. Not only will they likely come at a discount, but they offer some sort of value when it comes to helping this Lakers squad stay competitive moving forward.

Related Story: Pondering Lakers' potential trade packages for Kawhi

So without further ado, let’s take a gander at the five bargain free agents I believe the Lakers should target during 2018 NBA free agency. They may not all be home runs, but they all seem like logical options — at least in my mind.