Los Angeles Lakers: 3 former LeBron James teammates to target in free agency

2. Derrick Rose

It sounds crazy to say this about a former Most Valuable Player who is only 30 years old, but Derrick Rose’s stock is as high right now as it’s been in a while — which means he could earn a decent contract and maybe even a starting job in free agency.

Rose’s history of injuries is well-known, which is why he’s not in the ballpark for getting the kind of max-level, franchise-player contract you’d expect for someone his age and with his resume.

After averaging 18.0 points and 4.3 assists per game while shooting a career-best 37.0 percent on 3-pointers for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, Rose will have a few teams after him that need a quality point guard to either start or serve as a sixth man.

Rose played with LeBron on the Cavaliers in 2017-18. He only appeared in 16 games, averaging 9.8 points per game, before he was traded. Rose eventually wound up with the Wolves, where he stayed healthy enough to rediscover some of what made him a star in the past.

The night when Rose dropped 50 points against the Utah Jazz was voted “Moment of the Year” at the recent NBA Awards Show.

The Lakers are in the market for some current All-Star point guards like Russell, Kemba Walker and maybe Irving, but whether it’s as a high-level backup or a complementary starter, Rose should also be on L.A.’s radar.