2019 NBA free agency: Ranking Klay Thompson’s best potential landing spots

3. Los Angeles Lakers

You’d be lying if you said that Klay Thompson in the purple and gold didn’t cross your mind, especially after the acquisition of superstar big man Anthony Davis.

In all seriousness, as LeBron James enters the twilight of his prime, Klay Thompson is as close to as the perfect perimeter player that LeBron could ever play with. In some shape or form, his former teams have had a Klay-lite player as a 2-guard. Whether it be Daniel “Booby” Gibson, Ray Allen, J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver or even Shane Battier, the King of Akron thrives when surrounded with 3-and-D players. Why not get him the penultimate 3-and-D guard?

As currently constructed, the Los Angeles Lakers are in dire need of both.

With a 2-5 combo of Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis holding down the defensive end, LeBron James would be able to not exert energy on defense and get scrutinized, as Klay and Davis are more than ready to hold down that end of the court.

Admittedly, Klay would have to sacrifice much more on the offensive side of the court than he would everywhere else, and he’d have to take a discount given the Lakers’ lack of max cap space, but that’s a small price to pay to add some more jewelry to the collection.