Lakers would be wise to target potential Nets castoff with JJ Redick ties

The Los Angeles Lakers are entering the JJ Redick era with several areas in which the team must improve. An argument could be made that no weakness is more significant than the inability to maximize the value of the three-point shot.

Thankfully, the Brooklyn Nets have begun a fire sale that could open the door for Los Angeles to land one of the best shooters in the NBA.

Brooklyn stunned the masses by trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for Bojan Bogdanovic and a surplus of first-round draft picks. Bogdanovic could be an intriguing player for Los Angeles to pursue as he enters the final season of his current contract, but there's another Nets sharpshooter to keep an eye on.

If the goal is to improve from beyond the arc, then Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Cameron Johnson could be the perfect addition to the Lakers' roster.

Lakers should pursue sharpshooter Cameron Johnson

Johnson, 28, is a career 39.2 percent shooter from beyond the arc. Over the past three seasons, he's taken his game to another level by averaging 13.5 points and 2.5 three-point field goals made on a slash line of .458/.407/.831.

In 2023-24, Johnson shot 42.1 percent on catch-and-shoot three-point field goals—a reflection of how perfectly he'd fit with the Lakers.

It's also worth noting that Johnson has a history with recently hired Lakers head coach JJ Redick. Redick interviewed Johnson on The Old Man & the Three, and the two showed great chemistry as they dissected the intricacies of jump shooting.

It's easy to write that off as an inevitable result of Redick's previous job, but there appears to be mutual respect between the two that would be worth exploring further.

Acquiring Johnson would admittedly be somewhat complicated, as he's entering the second season of a four-year, $94.5 million contract. It's a frontloaded deal, which is appealing, but matching the $23,625,000 that he's owed for the 2024-25 season could prove challenging.

Rui Hachimura is owed $17 million in 2024-25 and could begin the salary-matching process, and it's also possible that Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and draft compensation could get the Nets to the table.

Based on the return Brooklyn accepted for Bridges, the latter could transpire.

Regardless of how Los Angeles would orchestrate a deal, Johnson is an undeniably appealing potential target. His three-point shooting would address a need considering Los Angeles ranked 24th in three-point field goals made and 28th in efficiency.

If general manager Rob Pelinka somehow pulls this off, adding Johnson and Dalton Knecht in the same offseason could completely transform the rotation. In just one summer, the Lakers could go from one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA to one of the best.