"Stop listening to Woj" - Gilbert Arenas claims Klay Thompson and Dan Hurley used the Lakers to uplift their market value

The 2024 NBA offseason has been dominated by two storylines—first, Klay Thompson rejecting the Los Angeles Lakers' offer for $80 million to eventually join the Dallas Mavericks, and second, Dan Hurley rejecting a $70 million offer from the Purple and Gold to return to the UConn Huskies. However, Gilbert Arenas has expressed skepticism regarding these reported offers.

Speaking on his podcast, the three-time All-Star, who is an avid Lakers fan, not only questioned the veracity of these lucrative offers but called out Thompson and Hurley to leverage the Lakers' brand to enhance their market value and gain headlines during the summer. Agent Zero also urged the fans not to blindly believe the rumor mill solely based on its hype.

"We didn't offer nobody no 80 million, dog. Stop listening to Woj and them. We didn't offer him no $80 million. We didn't offer that damn coach no $70 million, man. Y'all crazy. This is crazy talk," Arenas said . "We, the Lakers. You use our name to get famous. That's what they use. They use the Laker brand to boost up their financial status and other teams. We did not offer these people that kind of money."

Arenas is optimistic about the Lakers' chances to acquire on a superstar

Although the 2020 NBA Champs were unable to acquire high-profile players such as DeMar DeRozan, Paul George, Thompson, or Mikal Bridges to improve their competitive edge in the star-studded Western Conference, Gil argues that the Purple and Gold have more ambitious plans. He suggested that a 29-year-old, two-time All-Star is all that the team needs to get back in title contention.

"We cheat. We cheat, baby," Arenas added. "We got Zach LaVine...We just need one player."

Arenas confidently suggested that acquiring a young and fast two-way player like LaVine could be the smallest tweak the Lakers need to maximize their dominance on both ends of the court. Gil even suggested that a Purple and Gold squad with Zach could easily beat the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.

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LaVine could be L.A.'s biggest target

The Lakers have struggled when relying on veteran players, and they clearly need a young star to complement Anthony Davis and LeBron James. LaVine undoubtedly fits this profile well—a reliable individual who can excel in ball-handling, scoring, and defense.

Furthermore, the team's offensive and defensive ratings were middling last season, ranking 15th and 16th respectively. LaVine's career shooting percentages (46.4% from the field and 38.2% from three-point range) and defensive contributions (0.9 steals per game) suggest he could flourish as a potential All-NBA player on a high-profile team like the Lakers and fill their voids.

Given the Purple and Gold's track record of failing to acquire their top targets this summer, fans should not get too excited in their pursuit of 'Young Hollywood.'

Related: Mychal Thompson says he's "really disappointed" Klay chose Dallas over Lakers: "It was close"