The Los Angeles Lakers have promised Luka Doncic that they will acquire athletic 3-and-D wings during the 2026 offseason. Thankfully, the Brooklyn Nets have thrown them a lifeline. Brooklyn declined to extend a qualifying offer to Ochai Agbaji, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.
In the process, the Lakers gained a cost-efficient option in free agency to build the team Doncic prefers and acquire untapped potential.
Agbaji, 26, appeared to be on the fast track to a significant payday when he turned in an impressive 2024-25 season. Unfortunately, in 2025-26, the Toronto Raptors' revamped rotation seemingly pushed him out of favor and disrupted his rhythm as a shooter. He was then traded to the Brooklyn Nets, with whom he looked more like himself but operated outside of the spotlight.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Nets have now decided to proceed in a different direction by declining to tender him a qualifying offer.
The Brooklyn Nets declined to tender qualifying offers to Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson, making both unrestricted free agents, league sources told @hoopshype. Agbaji averaged 6.7 points in 20 games after being traded to Brooklyn. Wilson averaged 7.4 points over 3 seasons as a Net pic.twitter.com/IFgDsgdibc
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 29, 2026
This is a promising development for a Lakers side that should be happy to offer a minimum contract to Agbaji and see if he'd reenter the spotlight with a chance to redeem himself.
Ochai Agbaji enters unrestricted free agency, should be on Lakers' radar
Agbaji finished the 2024-25 season with averages of 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 offensive boards, 0.9 steals, and 1.6 three-point field goals made in 27.2 minutes per game. He did so while shooting with tremendous efficiency, converting shots at a clip of .498/.399/.708.
Unfortunately, Agbaji played just 15.5 minutes per game for the Raptors in 2025-26 and shot at an uncharacteristically poor clip of .424/.185/.862.
The good news is that Agbaji seemed to rediscover his jumper in Brooklyn. In 20 games with the Nets, he shot at a clip of .455/.349/.786. If nothing else, that's a sign that he can still knock down shots in an environment that attempts to accentuate his strengths.
Alongside top-tier playmakers such as Doncic and Austin Reaves, Agbaji could realistically reemerge as a high-level three-point shooter and thus highlight his defensive prowess.
Ochai Agbaji is a 26-year-old 3-and-D wing who was written off
If Agbaji were simply a shooter, perhaps the Lakers would have reason to hold off on pursuing him in free agency. What makes him an essential target, however, is the fact that he's also one of the top wing defenders on the open market.
Agbaji ranked in the 94th percentile in perimeter isolation defense in 2024-25 and the 74th percentile in rim deterrence, per Basketball Index. Despite the tumultuous nature of his 2025-26 season, he finished in the 83rd and 84th percentiles in 2025-26.
With this in mind, Agbaji would instantly fit the Lakers' movement toward a greater defensive emphasis. He's the athletic on-ball defender they need to fill out the rotation with and potentially even play alongside Cameron Carr to anchor the wings for the second unit.
The Lakers still need to prioritize a higher-priced player to start, but Agbaji is a great candidate to bring in at a low cost and ultimately solidify the perimeter as a promising 3-and-D wing.
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