NBA Insider Reveals A Major Move The Lakers Can Make Despite Free Agency Whiffs

It is a timeless tradition on social media that occurs each and every offseason.

The Los Angeles Lakers are linked to just about every free agent or star that is on the move, yet they typically end up swinging and missing. It happened this year with notable names like Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, and Jonas Valanciunas all choosing to go elsewhere instead of Los Angeles.

While missing on stars like Thompson and DeRozan stings a bit considering the value that they could have brought to the team offensively, missing out on Valanciunas had to be the biggest gut punch of them all. Thompson signed with the Dallas Mavericks who as we all know made the NBA Finals, DeRozan ended up in Sacramento in a three-team sign-and-trade deal that will see him look to push the Kings to a contending level, while Valanciunas signed with the Washington Wizards who are one of the worst teams in the league. They finished with the second-worst record at 15-67, and are still a couple of years away from being a couple of years away.

Valanciunas' presence on the inside would have given the Lakers a major boost who don't have a trustworthy big man out of Anthony Davis who refuses to play center. He can also stretch the floor and hit the occasional three.

Instead of making any flashy major additions, the Lakers are essentially running it back with last year's squad which was a play-in team that got swept in the first-round. However, according to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, this offseason wasn't their only chance to land Valanciunas.

Despite signing with the Wizards for three years on a deal worth $30 million, Windhorst hinted at the fact that he may be someone the Lakers make a move for this upcoming season.

"So JJ Redick is talking about how they need a big bruising center," Windhorst explained on the "Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective" podcast. "Anthony Davis first-team All-NBA defense this year...looks awesome. And even though he's like almost never looked better defensively, you got JJ Redick out there on the record saying "we need a bruising center". Why the reason they went after Jonas Valanciunas. By the way, do we think Jonas Valanciunas on offer midway through the season?  I wouldn’t rule out Jonas Valanciunas eventually ending up on the Lakers this year. That’s all I’m going to say “

How the Lakers would make the deal work is yet to be seen considering they don't have the most enticing assets, but it is a nugget of hope for fans of the Purple and Gold.