Lakers free agency: Ranking the best available 3-and-D wings in 2024

2. Klay Thompson, UFA

Not ranking Klay Thompson at No. 1 is a strange feeling considering he has a case for being the best 3-and-D player of his generation. In saying that, Thompson is 34 years of age, has an extensive injury history to factor into his ranking, and has taken a step back on defense after sustaining multiple serious leg injuries.

Even after putting all of that into perspective, however, it would be disrespectful to exclude him from this list—let alone not rank him among the very best on the open market.

Thompson is still producing at a high level. He averaged 17.9 points and 3.5 three-point field goals made per game in 2023-24, shooting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc—the worst full-season mark of his career, yet still better than a vast majority of players.

Acquiring Thompson would require a team to accept the risk of his potential decline, but it's easy to see why so many franchises are open to doing so.

The Los Angeles Lakers will likely be linked to Thompson until the day he retires due to the fact that his father, Mychal Thompson, played five seasons with the franchise. He also projects to be the perfect complement to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

A shooter's touch is the last thing to go, and even at 34 years of age, Thompson's range and defensive instincts make him a player worth considering—even if he will be too expensive to acquire.