Who all did the LA Lakers sign in free agency? Rating their signings so far

It was a very busy first day of free agency for the LA Lakers, who made a few excellent moves by landing Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes, while re-signing key forward Rui Hachimura to a lucrative deal.

We can consider these moves an upgrade at a low cost for the 17-time NBA champions, who have now focused on keeping Austin Reaves on a new deal.

That said, we take a closer look at the players who joined the LA Lakers in Day 1 of Free Agency:

#1 - Taurean Prince - 7/10

Minnesota Timberwolves v Los Angeles Lakers - Play-In Tournament

Taurean Prince, a former first-round pick in the 2016 NBA draft, spent the previous season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 46.7% from the field and 38.1% from beyond the arc.

He agreed to a one-year deal, worth $4.5M, and gives the LA Lakers a solid shooting option on the wing. Prince comes as Malik Beasley's replacement, with the Lakers saving money in cap space, as Beasley had a $16M player option.

#2 - Gabe Vincent - 8/10

A strong perimeter defender and a solid ball-handler, Gabe Vincent averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 40.2% from the field, including 33.4 percent from beyond the arc in the 2022-23 season.

Vincent had a breakout year with the Miami Heat and was a key part of Miami's NBA Finals run. He is expected to be Dennis Schroder's replacement, after the German point guard joined the Toronto Raptors on a two-year deal.

2023 NBA Finals - Game Five

#3 - Rui Hachimura - 9/10

A key part of the LA Lakers' renaissance in the final part of the season and the Western Conference finals run, Rui Hachimura showcased his scoring talent at times in the playoffs.

He averaged 12.2 points in 24.3 minutes per game in the playoffs last season, shooting 55.7% from the field and 48.7% from beyond the arc.

Keeping Hachimura and Austin Reaves was a priority for the Lakers this offseason and the Japanese forward returned on a three-year, $51M deal. He is expected to be a key player behind the superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

#4 - Cam Reddish - 7/10

The LA Lakers made a buy-low move on a former lottery pick, after agreeing to a two-year deal with Cam Reddish.

While he has not lived up to some of the expectations that he had entering his career, Cam Reddish has a great opportunity to show he can thrive in an off-the-bench role with the Lakers. This is another move that can help the LA Lakers mitigate the potential losses of Beasley and Lonnie Walker this offseason.

Oklahoma City Thunder v Portland Trail Blazers

#5 - Jaxson Hayes - 7/10

All of these moves have been great but it was very clear that the Lakers needed another big man on their roster and that's why they signed Jaxson Hayes to a two-year deal.

Hayes is just under 7-foot with a 7-3 wingspan, and was a solid rotational piece for the New Orleans Pelicans, but not much else. He has career averages of 7.5 points and 4.0 rebounds across 241 games played.

The big man has provided energy and a defensive presence during his limited time on the floor. With the LA Lakers, he can be a quality depth frontcourt piece and he will likely see significant playing time as the backup to star big man Anthony Davis.

Overall, the LA Lakers made an excellent start to the offseason with their moves in free agency and showed their desire to add quality to their bench. They should be in a position to remain a title contender next season.