The NBA offseason has brought plenty of change across the league, and the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t an exception. With the additions of Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Adou Thiero, highlighting general manager Rob Pelinka’s summertime moves, the Lakers’ outlook already appears to be much brighter than it was at the end of the 2024-25 postseason.

At the same time, summer isn’t close to being over, meaning there’s plenty of time for the Lakers to add another piece to the puzzle. Yes, Los Angeles has already reached 15 standard contracts, according to Spotrac; however, a roster spot will open up if the Lakers release Shake Milton before his $3 million salary becomes guaranteed on Sunday.

Assuming that the Lakers are open to replacing someone like Milton with a more reliable contributor, the perfect free agent target could be hitting the open market in the coming days.

Lakers Must Target Josh Okogie if Released by Hornets This Week

The Charlotte Hornets are projected to have 19 standard NBA contracts on their roster following their offseason moves — four above the limit. In other words, the Hornets will have to cut ties with players before the offseason is over, and all signs point to Josh Okogie being a likely release due to his $7.75 million cap hit, which will become guaranteed on Tuesday.

In fact, one NBA insider is implying that it’s only a matter of time before the 26-year-old wing is a free agent.

“The Charlotte Hornets plan to waive guard Josh Okogie ahead of his $7.75 million salary guarantee deadline for the 2025-26 season tomorrow,” @Ary_Report wrote on Monday afternoon.

If Okogie does hit the open market, the Lakers shouldn’t hesitate to target him. Waiving Milton and trading another veteran (Maxi Kleber, Gabe Vincent, etc.) would help unlock the franchise’s $5.1 million bi-annual exception again, which they could use to lure Okogie to the City of Angels.

Despite adding LaRavia, Los Angeles could afford to add another talented swingman to head coach JJ Redick’s roster, and the former Georgia Tech product would certainly fit the bill. Okogie has displayed reliability at both ends of the floor throughout his seven-year NBA career, which has seen him play 416 games (167 starts) between the Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Phoenix Suns.

During his time in the league, Okogie has averaged 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game while shooting 40.6% from the field and 29.9% from deep. Although his offensive upside isn’t eye-popping, his efficiency has improved as time has passed, proven by his averaging personal-bests in field-goal (44.3%) and three-point (34.8%) percentages last season.

It isn’t hard to imagine how sharing the floor with elite playmakers LeBron James and Luka Doncic would potentially help Okogie’s shooting improve even more. Besides, his stellar defensive skills would help fill the void that was left by Dorian Finney-Smith’s summertime departure.

At the end, signing Okogie (assuming he’s released) would be a low-cost, high-reward move that could solidify the Lakers as a legitimate threat out west.