Los Angeles Lakers: 5 Top Priority Free Agents

Dec 13, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball around of Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball around of Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Lakers
Feb 25, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) reacts to dunking the ball during the first half against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Jordan Clarkson

As unpopular of an opinion as this might be, yes — re-signing Jordan Clarkson should be more important to the Lakers’ front office than landing any of the aforementioned players, even Kevin Durant.

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Clarkson has proved his worth to the team

as the best player on the roster right now, improving upon a surprise rookie season with an average of 15.5 points per game on a shooting split of .436/.352/.799 in his second year. His natural ability to score paired with great athleticism make him quite the weapon for the Lakers.

It will also make him a candidate for a big payday this summer — and other teams will be eager to steal him away from Los Angeles.

No matter the number, the Lakers have to make sure they retain such a valuable asset.

As mentioned before, Clarkson’s identity as a scorer is solid. He’s the perfect foil for backcourt partner D’Angelo Russell and the two look like they have the makings of a backcourt duo that can be elite for years to come.

In addition, the trio of Clarkson, Russell and Randle is making strides towards bringing the Lakers back into prominence.

Related Story: 25 Best Players to Play for the Los Angeles Lakers

As the old adage goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If the Lakers want to keep progressing towards a promising future, they need to keep a good thing going and maintain the trio of Clarkson, Russell and Randle for years to come.