3 Guards the Los Angeles Lakers will definitely regret not signing in free agency

The Los Angeles Lakers have committed to an approach that has the fanbase skeptical of how eager the team is to improve. Los Angeles has been somewhere between patient and tranquil in free agency, thus resulting in the wave of impact players passing them by.

It's a defensible move in some senses, but there are a select few players whom the Lakers could've afforded but ultimately refrained from acquiring.

The hope in Los Angeles appears to be that head coach JJ Redick can connect with the players on a stronger level than Darvin Ham was able to, thus making for greater results with similar pieces. For as intriguing as that possibility is, the Lakers missed out on three impact players at team-friendly price points.

That's a difficult reality to stomach when one considers how rapidly the window is closing for Anthony Davis and 39-year-old LeBron James to win a second championship together.

The past can't be changed, but the Lakers will be kicking themselves when they see what these three players could've done for them in 2024-25.

1. Tyus Jones, Phoenix Suns

One of the most baffling misses of the 2024 offseason was the Lakers failing to bring in point guard Tyus Jones. The 28-year-old was long heralded as the arguable best backup facilitator in the NBA, and showed what he could do as a starter in 2023-24.

Unfortunately, the Lakers watched as Jones signed a one-year deal with the rival Phoenix Suns worth just $3,003,427—a figure Los Angeles could've afforded.

Jones finished the 2023-24 regular season with averages of 12.0 points, 7.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.6 three-point field goals made per game. He shot efficiently with a slash line of .489/.414/.800 and committed just 1.0 turnover per contest.

Jones' 7.35 assist-to-turnover ratio was far and away the best of any qualifying player in the NBA this past season.

Jones faces concerns about his defensive consistency, but the Lakers were in a position where that could've been overlooked and ultimately masked. Los Angeles is in the market for an upgrade at point guard and is already shopping D'Angelo Russell in trade negotiations.

If Russell is on the way out, then not signing Jones to create depth at one of the thinnest and most injury-plagued positions on the roster could prove disastrous.

2. De'Anthony Melton, Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors quietly made one of the best signings of the 2024 offseason when they landed De'Anthony Melton on a one-year, $12,822,000 deal. That's admittedly a bit too far beyond the Lakers' general cap flexibility, but it wouldve been possible if the team created the full non-taxpayer MLE.

In the event that Los Angeles had gone all-in on signing Melton and acquired him for that same figure, the team would've addressed perhaps its biggest on-court flaw: Its perimeter defense.

Los Angeles finished the 2023-24 regular season in the bottom third of the NBA in several key statistical areas. That includes ranking No. 25 in opponent three-point field goal percentage, No. 27 in opponent fast break points, and No. 28 in three-point field goals allowed.

Melton would've been a perfect fit for a team that needed a player with his exact qualifications to help address those crucial areas of weakness.

Melton is one of the best 3-and-D guards in the NBA, possessing the length, strength, shooting prowess, and technique to make a nightly two-way impact. Since 2020-21, he's averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.9 three-point field goals made on 38.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Translate those numbers to a per 36 basis and the Lakers missed out on a player who's averaged 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals, and 2.8 three-point field goals made over the past four seasons.

For a team in need of perimeter defenders, not paying Melton an attainable cost is a tough decision to justify.

3. Gary Trent Jr., Milwaukee Bucks

It still doesn't make all that much sense that Gary Trent Jr. wasn't signed until the third week of free agency. A 3-and-D wing with the proven ability to score in bunches, Trent looked like the perfect low-cost addition for any number of NBA franchises.

Instead, he languished on the free agency market until the Milwaukee Bucks bolstered their championship odds by signing him to a one-year deal worth just $2,613,120.

Trent is the prototypical wing for the modern era at 6'5" and 204 pounds with a 6'9" wingspan. He's showcased 3-and-D potential in the past, as he's utilized his size and length to disrupt opposing teams' offensive sets and primary scorers' general rhythm.

As such, it's hard to look past the possibility that Trent could've filled two crucial voids for the Lakers as a sharpshooting wing who can defend at a high level when positioned to do so.

Over the past three seasons, Trent has averaged 16.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.7 three-point field goals made on 38.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc. By comparison, the Lakers ranked No. 24 in three-point field goals made as a team in 2023-24.

A two-way wing with three career 40-point games and 20 30-point outings, Trent could've provided tremendous team-friendly value to a Lakers squad in need at a minimum cost.