Multiple Former Lakers Work Out for Major Western Conference Rival

Will the Lakers regret not exploring these alums?

Jan 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at center court during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Los Angeles Lakers are trotting out basically the same lineup they had in 2023-24 (plus rookie guards Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, and minus vets Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie), all four of their Pacific Division rivals have been far less asleep at the wheel.

One Pacific Division nemesis in particular is actively recruiting several free agents late into the offseason — including three former Lakers.

Former two-time Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas, who in his prime was an All-NBA First Teamer and a two-time All-Star with the Boston Celtics, headlines the group working out with the Sacramento Kings, according to Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL. Ex-Lakers forward Juan Toscano-Anderson and former Los Angeles shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV both also number among the vets being auditioned by Sacramento, along with free agent center Tony Bradley.

Thomas, a 5-foot-9 point guard out of Washington University, was initially drafted by the Kings with the very last pick (No. 60) in the 2011 NBA Draft. Thomas quickly outplayed that draft standing, finishing as an All-Rookie Second Teamer in 2011-12. He has also been among the top vote-getters for Most Improved Player three times. Thomas joined the Phoenix Suns in a sign-and-trade, was subsequently flipped to the Boston Celtics midway through the 2014-15 season, and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting that year. That was the beginning of the most successful stint of his professional career. Thomas emerged as an All-Star in 2015-16, before repeating that honor in 2016-17, while also becoming an All-NBA Second Teamer and finishing fifth in MVP voting. That year, he averaged 28.9 points on a .463/.379/.909 slash line, 5.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals a night across 76 contests for the 53-29 Celtics. A hip injury suffered during the postseason permanently changed the trajectory of his career, however, and he lost that fastbreak athleticism that had made him such a special player initially.

Starting in 2017, Thomas has bounced around the league, suiting up for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Lakers (twice), the Denver Nuggets, the Washington Wizards, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Dallas Mavericks, the Charlotte Hornets, and, most recently, the Phoenix Suns in 2023-24. A Sacramento return would serve as a poetic bookend to the 35-year-old's at times frenetic career.

The 6-foot-6 Toscano-Anderson, 31, played for the Lakers for 30 games (seven starts) during the 2022-23 season, before he was flipped to the Utah Jazz in a massive deal. He averaged 2.7 points on a .500/.200/.733 slash line, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. He was on the Kings' roster last year, though he only played a deep-bench role, appearing in just 11 games.

Walker, 25, has the most upside among the four mentioned prospects. After a breakout playoff performance off the bench for the Lakers in 2023, the 6-foot-4 swingman inked a minimum deal with the ill-fated Brooklyn Nets in 2023-24. He averaged a respectable 9.7 points on .423/.384/.763 shooting splits, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.6 steals a night. The Kings, however, desperately need defensive help, a skill in which Walker is lacking.

Will the Lakers regret not exploring these alums? Walker could be an interesting choice, and certainly would be more helpful than, say, Maxwell Lewis or Cam Reddish.

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