Free agency might not have been the smoothest ride for the Lakers, but through all the ups and downs they did pretty well for themselves by grabbing Lou Williams, Brandon Bass, and Roy Hibbert (via trade). These players have added veteran experience and tangible, useful skill-sets to a roster which needed some stability. All three players should help in the upward trajectory of the team and the Lakers, all things considered, are lucky to have them.
But just because these players have been added, it doesn’t mean the Lakers should consider their off-season over. Player acquisition is a 365 days-a-year job and, as we saw with the rumors of a Ty Lawson chase, the Lakers’ brass takes that job seriously. Looking ahead to next year, then, you can imagine the front office would still like make a move or two — regardless of what their public stance on this might be.
A simple look at the current depth chart gives us a look at what direction the team might need to go in:
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Point Guard | D’Angelo Russell | |||
| Shooting Guard | Jordan Clarkson | Lou Williams | Jabari Brown | |
| Small Forward | Kobe Bryant | Nick Young | Anthony Brown | |
| Power Forward | Julius Randle | Brandon Bass | Ryan Kelly | Larry Nance Jr. |
| Center | Roy Hibbert | Tarik Black | Robert Sacre | Robert Upshaw |
Before we dig in deeper, a few quick points:
- Technically, Jordan Clarkson is the back up point guard. However, since this is a potential depth chart and not a rotation chart he’s only listed at SG. But I do expect him to get the lion’s share of the “back up” point guard minutes.
- As it stands, the Lakers’ roster is full with 15 players under contract…
- However, Jabari Brown, Tarik Black, and Robert Upshaw all have either partial or non-guaranteed contracts for the upcoming season. If you’re looking to create a roster space, any one of those three would be likely candidates to be let go.
With that out of the way, the roster as is has a fair amount of balance between young and veteran talent and a nice mix of quality players at all five positions. This doesn’t mean the team is set, though. The two needs which standout most are a defensive minded wing and a third/emergency point guard.
When looking at the wing, it’s more than fair to say the Lakers don’t have a lot of defensive minded players. While I do believe Jordan Clarkson competes well defensively and that D’Angelo Russell showed more strides in that area (at least on the ball) than his reputation would have implied, the next best defensive wing projects to be rookie Anthony Brown. Some might want to mention Kobe here, but, let’s be honest, Kobe’s not going to give you a great amount of defensive value at this stage of his career. I won’t get into it now, but this is a topic we’ve discussed at length in the past and he’s only gotten less effective since then.
Relying on Brown as a guy to defend the quality wings in this league isn’t a recipe for success. Neither is sliding up Clarkson or bringing in Jabari Brown to cover the SF’s with size. And while the coaches and front office have strongly urged Nick Young to step up defensively in order to earn his minutes next season, I don’t relying on this happening is a real solution either. This would mean looking outside of the roster for a viable solution. A player like Dorrel Wright instantly comes to mind as an option, though exploring other options in the trade market would also be smart.
Regarding a third point guard, this isn’t the biggest need, but it’s clearly a hole on the roster as it’s currently constructed. If either Russell or Clarkson were unavailable to play, the next man up in the point guard rotation would be…Lou Williams? Jabari Brown? Kobe? These might be stop gap solutions for 10 or 15 minutes on any given night or even for a game or two. But, over the course of a long season, it’s far from ideal to have this be the plan. Some options on the FA market include recently waived Pablo Prigioni and Andre Miller. Whether either would be interested in playing the type of role the Lakers would need them to — mentoring, rarely playing — is another story entirely, but both fit the mold of what the Lakers could use.
As noted above, making room for any such player would require the Lakers moving away from a currently contracted player. Considering the roster balance and the overflow of players slotted as either PF’s or C’s, I would imagine the players most vulnerable would be Upshaw, Sacre, or Ryan Kelly. While the Lakers have invested time and resources into the development of the latter two players, they might be the first choices to be swapped out since there are younger players (Nance, Black, Upshaw) who have promise as potential future contributors and are younger. Ideally it would be through a trade (which brought back zero players), but releasing one outright wouldn’t be out of the question.
Even with these needs present, though, the Lakers might just feel okay going into the season as-is and seeing how this group of guys can produce. I’ve long said trying to fix the Lakers in one offseason was not going to happen, so filling all the needs on the roster heading into the year simply may not be possible. However, it’s easy to see where the holes are right now. Trying to fill them in with viable players who can assist in the growth of the young players while aiding in the team’s competitiveness will surely be on the minds of the team’s executives.
TheArmoTrader says
Seems like the most ideal situation (outside of being able to dump Kelly or Sacre while giving up nothing and getting back nothing), would be to trade Ryan Kelly for a veteran PG.
Sacre might be less talented than Kelly, but with the Nance pick, seems unwise to not invest more time into Larry, even tho I think Kelly can be a contributor if he’s healthy and not used as a SF….
(As for the Upshaw/Sacre overlap for the third center on the roster….Upshaw probably wont be able to play any legit minutes in the NBA this year, which means he’ll be developing in the D-League on the D-Fenders…..which would leave a hole in the roster at the emergency/backup center spot.)
Looking around for potential deals that involve vet PGs:
1) Steve Blake for Kelly works, but considering DET has Ersan/Morris/Tolliver as their stretch 4s, they probably don’t need Kelly unless they trade one of those guys.
2) Hinrich for Kelly works, but Hinrich might want legit minutes and Hoiberg might want that legit vet he can trust at the PG position. And CHI already has 3 guys that can play backup PF (Gibson/Mirotic/Portis)
3) Udrih for Kelly works, but MEM has Jeff Green, and have other guys they can play/develop at the PF spot like Stokes and Martin.
Outside of those deals, there’s no other veteran PG that’d be a reasonable swap here. Maybe they can involve a 3rd team so Kelly goes elsewhere?
Those unlikely scenarios means our best bet is to try and dump Kelly (or Sacre) somewhere so we can sign a veteran PG*.
That FA list includes Miller and Pablo as Darius mentioned but also Ridnour, Jannero Pargo, and Will Bynum if needed be. Would love Miller here personally.
(*I think we should hold onto Jabari. It’s not a rush to add a 3rd PG IMO. Lou/Kobe can fill in a little there if need be.
And unless we dump Young, there’s not going to be much playing time for whatever defensive-ish wing we sign, unless we don’t play Young, which means $5M sitting in cap space and losing even more value.)
George says
I don’t think we need to make any moves at this point. It would appear, heading into this season, the the FO has two options:
A) Play the kids from the get go and have veterans as back ups
B) Start the vets and work the kids in as the season progresses
In either scenario, should the season go south in a bad way, we can look to make some strategic moves at the deadline. I just don’t think we’re in a position to contend so to me having a third string SF or PG is not something that I’d actively pursue. Note, I say that knowing that Young/Sacre/Kelly are not in demand so its not like we have to hold other teams at bay.
I’m hoping that we learn what we have with the kids this year. We’ve got to know our needs are heading into the off season.
Prob says
Your right about Clarkson being a back up Point Guard, and Randle should not and will not start at PF.
I’ve thought about it and the only way lakers bring in another wing whether it’s for defensive purposes or just a flat out better wing than Nick Young, is if they trade Nick Young and Ryan Kelly which to be honest if your able to get a solid wing capable starting and plays solid defence, than it’s pretty much a no brainer to trade them.
Calvin says
Please sign Luke Ridnour – the ultimate professional journeyman.
angel says
Hey Darius, my humble opinion will be this one…
Russell/Clarkson
Bryant/Williams/JBrown
Young/ABrown/Nance
Bass/Randle/Kelly
Hibbert/Black/Upshaw/Sacre
or get rid of Sacre/Kelly and get Wright/Miller.
chibi says
Sergio Rodriguez or Marcelo Huertas for backup pg and pnr tutor.
Mid-Wilshire says
Now…don’t react. But Jordan Farmar might be available.
Last year he was terrible with the Clips. But the previous year (2013-14) with the Lakers he was quite good although he was injured often (remember his hamstring problems?) and only played 41 games. Anyway, his stats from 2 years ago were as follows:
22:15 minutes per game
10.1 ppg
41.5% fg percentage
43.8% 3-pt. percentage
2.5 rebounds
4.9 assists
He’s not too long in the tooth. He’s 28 and turns 29 on November 30.
The Lakers could do worse. And he’d be available for the vet’s minimum. It’s just a thought.
Oldtimer says
Darius, is that the final roster for starters? First, we don’t know the full condition of Kobe whether he is ready to start; Second, Randy and Russell were torched during the Summer League against fellow rooks and d’league, what is the grand plan of BS that they suddenly surged against the regulars by November? We are putting the Vets before the rookies not because we preferred them but it is the logical choice based on what is on hand. The overall objective is to compete during the opening salvo than amassed a lot of losses. If Byron starts with 2-8, chances are he will be fired like Mike Brown, just sayin’ this is not a developmental team, Lakers exist in order to compete.
Hale says
Mid,
Farmar should have been a Laker last year, also. However, I don’t see the staff clearing out space to bring him back for the 3rd time. Were he to make it back though, I would not oppose it.
jason says
not slot of options for back up point but I wouldn’t mind Norris Cole kind of a pesky defender and we can get him cheap
George says
Farmar at the vets min is OK as long as he understands he’s the third string PG. the problem with his last stint with the Lakers was he was second string vying for the starter’s job and kept getting hurt. He became so injury prone that we couldn’t even count on him for back up duty.
AusPhil says
I for one would like Farmar back again. As others have said, he should’ve been a Laker last season anyhow, and never had to see the inside of that other lockerroom at Staples!
J C says
Farmar would be an excellent backup and veteran roster add.
Only problem would be if he sees himself as a future starter. He’s good but I guess not good enough. If he’s willing to play a role, great.
But the team’s most glaring need is at SF so if further moves are made let’s hope they attend to that first.
Unless one of the Browns becomes very reliable and Kobe is playing a solid 32 min at the 3.
G says
Glenn Robinson III at SF would be a nice look. That’s if the Hawks haven’t signed him from their summer league team yet.
Anonymous says
Jeff Taylor for 3 & D …
Lakersoldier says
We need to get what he said, a point guard and a 3 like an Ariza type. Then we need to stay healthy and obtain great chemistry. Plus some consistency with keeping the same roster and not adding and subtracting every year. That’s all we need to get back to the title.
Darius Soriano says
Farmar signed in Israel. He’s not available. Norris Cole is a restricted free agent so, by definition, if he’s “cheap” he’s staying on the Pelicans when they match the offer sheet.
Anonymous says
I doubt they make any more moves but I believe they should. I like Upshaw’s potential but he’s 2 years away, I’d send him down to the D-league and let him develop. Meanwhile there would be a void at the back up center position which leads me to believe they should go after Seraphin or Javale McGee. I like Tarik Black but he’s not a center and either Seraphin or McGee would be a good pick up for back up center. I would like for Jordan Clarkson to start along side D’angelo Russell and Kobe but I believe they’re looking for a true 3, somebody who plays good defense a slasher and can hit the three, dorell Wright comes to mind, not sure if the Lakers will go after him though. But that’s about it.
Mid-Wilshire says
So…with Farmar unavailable, I would think that chibi’s suggestion of either Sergio Rodriguez or Marcelino Huerta might be best. Rodriguez played in the NBA for a while (Portland as I recall) without making much of a splash. Then he returned to Spain and, as I understand it, did quite well. Huerta has always played well (for Brazil) in the Olympics. I think he’s a good guard. But he’s in his 30s and not a spring chicken.
Both players, as I understand it, want to come to the NBA and would be content with a limited role with just about any team.
Renato, are you familiar with either? If you can share any thoughts, that would be great.
If, then, the Lakers were to bring in, say, Dorrell Wright and Sergio Rodriguez, they’d have to figure out how to trade out Nick Young and Ryan Kelly. I’d be fine with that, especially considering that Byron Scott is probably not enamored of either player. Rodriguez would be good insurance. Dorrell Wright could actually be a consistent contributor.
We definitely need something at the SF position. We’re pretty thin there.
the other Stephen says
@chibi,
I always enjoyed watching Spanish Chocolate’s game.
arliepro says
G, Robinson is still available. Watched him in several Hawks games. He looked good, but since he’s got such limited NBA experience, I doubt that the Lakers would give him much consideration.
Michael says
If the Lakers aren´t going to ship anyone out, then stand pat. Keep who they have now and let the youth develop. Having a good core is essential. Now is the best chance to develop who we have now and have other good pieces fall into place over time. Concerning the point guard issue – Clarkson, Bryant and J Brown have all played that spot. We have lots of players who can play more than one position. No real need to (now) sign another guard or forward.
Robert Fisher says
Well Angel was the first to point out something I have looked at all along – Nance at SF. That said PG is then the need, but with no roster space – who you gonna lose – with five PFs including Black, the first player I see as expendable is Kelly. As mentioned, Sacre is the safety backup Center as Upshaw develops and gets his conditioning, and Young’s contract is too large. A wily vet PG in place of Kelly would be the end of it. The NG players have too much promise not use the year to check out, since making the playoffs isn’t the point, but team development is. Besides, missing the playoffs gives the opportunity for the bouncing Ping-Pong balls to hit top 3 to keep our 2016 pick.
On another point bought up, starting the vets and then the kids as a full swap out second unit like the days of the bench mob is interesting.
Williams, Kobe, Young, Bass, Hibbert
Russell, Clarkson, Nance, Randle, Upshaw.
Unknown PG, J brown, A Brown, Black, Sacre
Jordan says
Wrigjt would be a great addition if we can get him. He can spread the floor and spot up and be a viable target for one of our young guards, and his length on D will at least be some sort of attempt at Laker wing defense in the post metta/Ariza era. I like the idea of Kobe playing 28 min at the 3 (7 each quarter) but I don’t exactly trust him to cover up a big time scorer on the wing AND that leaves 20 minutes of game time to make something happen at the 3. I don’t trust Anthony brown at this level yet and maybe ever, and 20 minutes of Nick Young defense is not gonna get it done either. Also, as much as I love the idea of a 3 guard lineup with Russell, clarkson, and Williams, which would be so fun to watch, but as much as I love the idea, that’s like giving up a basket every time down.
I do like Russells defensive upside. If you watch him closely, he is excellent at moving laterally with his defender and his size enables him not to get pumped off. He will continue to get stronger and will hopefully evolve into a plus defender.
Although undersized, I think clarkson is already at that level. He’s so feisty and quick on d. He’s undersized against the hardens of the 2 position, but as the league gets smaller, the good defensive 2 guard will look a lot more like clarkson.
Lastly, although not as immediately necessary as adding a wing defender, how cool would it be for Steve Blake to come back and provide veteran leadership in the clubhouse, so Kobe isn’t left handling that task alone.
How do we get it done? Comments and feedback appreciated.
tankyou says
If this season is anything close to a meritocracy, they can’t start Randle and Russel to start the season. Clarkson doesn’t seem to have near the PG mentality Russel has, but he does protect the ball pretty well and doesn’t cough up many TO’s. If Russel starts with Kobe, Kobe is still going to dominate the ball, I don’t see that as being helpful to a player like Russel developing. Kobe isn’t going to be coming off the bench, so having Russel in the 2nd unit only makes sense.
Honestly, we have Lou Williams and Kobe who are very ball dominate when they are on the court, Kobe sometimes goes into passing mode, Williams is always in scoring mode. Clarkson also seems to be in scoring mode as well. It just seems like the best wings we have are Offense first guys, who play little defense. My previous argument about someone like Ellington is what would fit Russel/Clarskon and Kobe would be an Offball wing who shoots 3’s pretty well and can help pick up the slack defensively. Instead we have a whole bunch of gunners who aren’t good defensively, or at least unproven at this point or too young to expect much. Even though we have lot’s of talent/experience in our guards, I just view their skill sets as being fairly redundent. If Russel doesn’t become a modest defender, we will be seriously horribly defensively overall at the 1-2-and possibly the 3 positions. Personally Randle didn’t look too good at the 4 defensively, but not much to go on yet, at least Bass is a proven hard working defender. But if we trot out a Russel/Clarkson/Kobe/Randle/Hibbert starting line-up we will get utterly destroyed the first half of the season trying to defend. Even being optimistic its going to take Russel and Randle a good half season to truly learn to defend at the NBA level, and that’s assuming they will become decent defensive players–rather than offense first guys.
Shaun says
I think at 6’1 the idea is for lou williams to be the backup PG with Jabari backing up at the SG slot or some mix or clarkson and Jabari in there with the 2nd group
with Russell, clarkson, and Kobe/Young all being roughly the same height I think they will all be used interchangeably between the 1-3 positions making things a bit less cluttered in the front court where I think we will see some kelly and nance at the 3 if they need to cover power SFs like Lebron and Carmelo …. it’s not like lance is some huge PF he looked only slightly taller than our guards in summer league so he could be a defensive 3
I doubt we add anyone to the roster for the rest of the year
Oldtimer says
I think we don’t need another PG because it will hamper the development of our #2 draft pick. Clarkson can act as a PG and also Lou Williams who was a PG for several years with Sixers too. What we need is a veteran SF and 2nd team Center? However, if they can’t make a trade, just wait till opportunity comes. Aside from Kobe going for 3, who is dependable enough to carry on the offense as the analytics fans are advocating? If Nance will brick shots as a continuation of his performance during the Summer League, then that is no help for 3. If Kelly can be consistent with his perimeter prowess during his Duke days and also can defend then he could be the missing 3.
With regards to the Center position, who will replace Hibbert? Sacre? Upshaw? or Black (too small). Eventually, this will be the role of Upshaw but at this time we need again Benga as 2nd option. huh!
George says
tankyou and Shaun: I had drinks with a good friend and fellow Lakers fan last night. We are both a bit older so our history goes back to the early ’70s and the West/Wilt teams. When the topic finally rolled around to our beloved team we touched on some of these topics:
1) We think the Lakers will start the vets and work the kids in over time. Byron is a Riley disciple and, Riles believed in spoon feeding the kids. We both remember James Worthy not starting and he was more NBA ready than Russell or Randle. The starting five will be Kobe/Clarkson/Young/Bass/Hibbert.
2) Young starts to build up his trade value. As it stands now, if Young is in the doghouse he won’t play and with that contract he has zero trade value. Remember in early December recently signed free agents are able to be traded. I think the Lakers might be trying to move Young quickly. We both would like to see Nance get some burn as a defensive wing. He played the Four in college but I think he’s too small for that role in the NBA.
3) It’s been said by others that our vets are just average and they are. So I think the Lakers will have a similar record as last year through December when they were like 10 – 20. I think at that point the shift will take place and the kids will either start or begin to get the lion’s share of the minutes.
4) Kobe is a wildcard. I very much want him to stay healthy but the feeling is that he has pushed his body so hard for so long that he won’t.
5) We think Hibbert stays with the Lakers all year. He’s a big expiring contract but he himself offers little value. I guess the Lakers could hope for something like Kevin Love and Lebron not getting along and offering cap relief but that’s not likely and even if it were to happen there would be other teams with more to offer.
6) We both like the kids, especially Russell. We’re not sure where Randle is best suited to play. We think he’s quick enough to guard a Three but offensively he’s a Four. Obviously, he’d be perfect as a small ball Four. Our feeling is that he would be best playing with a Four with range. That way Randle can play inside on offense without clogging the middle (the Four drifting to the perimeter). I think a big part of whether the Lakers make it all the way back is whether they find the right forward partner (be it a Three or a Four) to team with Randle.
7) We both like Clarkson but worry about his defense against bigger/stronger Twos. His quickness, however, should be an asset defensively. We talked about his contract being up at the end of the year. Our understanding is that he would be a restricted free agent and the Lakers could match any offers. Does anyone know if this is true or not? If the Lakers could lose him outright then we might be persuaded to tie him and Hibbert together for a deadline deal for an available elite.
8) We think the Lakers ceiling is 35 wins and their floor is 25 wins (barring injuries). We are likely looking at 32 – 50, or something like that.
9) We both agreed that the as long as the kids were showing progress the wins and losses really didn’t matter. All we really want to see is if this young core is really something to build on.
TheArmoTrader says
To everyone clamoring for Farmar – forget about it. He said he wants to start/play major mins, and that’s not happening in LA. Our best hope is to trade off Kelly (or Sacre/Young or waive Brown) in order to sign one of the vets PGs (Ridnour/Pablo/Miller, even Jason Terry).
For those in search for a backup center, Black’s more than fine. He played there last year, and while he is a tad small, it’s not a big deal for 15-20 MPG, especially with the league going smaller. He has decent strength and a decent wingspan for 6’9.
And no guys, DON’T play Nance or Kelly at the 3 unless the other team also has a PF in at 3. But even then….
Craig W. says
I guess I simply don’t see Kelly at the 3 for any minutes this year. Didn’t we do that last year with very poor results?
IMO – Williams should be in the game when Kobe sits. We need the veteran firepower for both 1st and 2nd units and that is the only way to get it.
Clarkson can start at the beginning of they year because he has the experience and it won’t stunt his growth. Handling PG and deferring some to Kobe might actually make him a better PG, creating more combo opportunities later in the year.
Nance at the 3 is intriguing, but he is a rookie and would have to tear up training camp – besides, A Brown is the better shooter, with equally good defensive promise. Three is our toughest decision to start the game at the start of the year.
I don’t see any way of pushing Bass out of starting at 4, with Randle and Nance behind. Nance is 6’9″ with over a 7′ wingspan. He is not too small to play 4.
Finally, I see Black as a rotation 5 when Byron wants to go small. Later in the year we might see Nance, Randle, and Black in the game for small ball. That would be a monster trio for small defenses to keep off the board.
tankyou says
@George, I’m pretty much in agreement with everything you just listed there all 1-9. I also agree with the record, 30-35 seems plausible to me, not much better, and barring injuries not much worse than that range.
I also don’t think Hibbert is worth much to anyone as an expiring contract, and there just aren’t enough contending teams that need a big slow center, even if their center goes down with an injury. Regardless of money, he has some value to the Lakers this year anyway, b/c even though I don’t think much of him, at least he plays some defense and deters shots. We need that so desperately, I think we are in for a rude awakening this season in how our defense gets eaten alive. I really doubt they play Bass enough minutes, regradless if he starts, they have to play Randle a lot of minutes. The “improvements” in this years roster are more smoking mirrors for the win now folks, hopefully its enough to win and start to make the Lakers look like a team on the upswing. I think its better for us to show improvement and also show potential free agents that we have a budding star on our team. End of the day the pressure is on Russel/Randle, if they just look like OK players on a fairly bad team–we are in for more years of frustration. Bottom line, beyond FA’s we need one of them to be really good just for us to have a chance to be good–b/c KD etc aren’t coming here next year.
Vasheed says
I agree with oldtimer that we don’t need a point guard. If we got one it would likely be someone to bring out in emergency use only like Price or Marshall. In a pinch Williams will do. Kelly should never play SF. He is completely neutralized playing someone that quick as shown last year and in the previous year he got eaten alive at PF when matched up against guy like Melo or LeBron who are like PF/SF hybrids. He is beast suited matching up against traditional PF where his range is an asset on offense and his marts an asset on defense.
SF is proably the biggest glaring problem. It looks ok with Kobe, Young, and A. Brown but, with the context of Young on the court with Williams and Young being in Scott’s perpetual dog house Young is an odd man in the roatation. He really needs to go but the Lakers need a trade partner to do anything about him.
I think we are fine at center. Upshaw can be the next big thing for the Lakers at center and we also have Black who is a serviceable center as well as in case of emergency only Sacre. Another Center is a back up to back up to a back up which just gets redundant.
Todd says
@George: Our understanding is that he would be a restricted free agent and the Lakers could match any offers. Does anyone know if this is true or not?
__
Per Basketball Insiders, the Lakers can make Clarkson a qualifying offer for 2016/17. By doing this Jordan would become a restricted free agent the summer of 2016. He’d likely be in line for a deal similar to Tobias Harris’ 4 yr/$64 Mill deal.
His deal is something to keep in mind for those that are backing Jim’s FA approach to getting the Lakers back to the top. Yes, Kobe’s deal comes off the books this summer but it looks like we’ll be adding $16 mil back on it for Clarkson.
Was there any way that the Lakers could have made Clarkson a 3 or 4 year offer after drafting him instead of the two year deal he got? It seems like the prudent thing to do from now on is to sign your 2nd round picks to longer deals. If the player doesn’t pan out your only paying them less that a mil per year. If they blow up, like Clarkson, and they are under contract for longer — then you can save your team $15 mil a year.
Jim C. says
I think the Lakers are, or should be, more or less done at this stage. If, say, Jordan Clarkson or D’Angelo Russel get injured we have an option already on the roster to step in and man the point for a few minutes a game: Kobe
Plug him at the one and Lou Williams at the two and you’ve got your “break glass in case of emergencies” PG. It leaves a hole at the 3 spot where I expect Kobe to get the majority of his minutes this year, but you have options to use there in Young and Anthony Brown. I wouldn’t even be averse to giving Randle some minutes there as an experiment.
If we DO need somebody else (say Kobe gets injured too) then go for a D-Leaguer at the point. Lakers have found some good value there in recent years. If that doesn’t work, I think Ryan Kelly or Robert Sacre do end up being the ones either traded or cut.
Why? Because neither of them have the upside of Black, Jabari or Upshaw. We’ve seen what Kelly and Sacre can do and, to be perfectly blunt, it isn’t much.
The Lakers have to think longterm and, in the longterm, jettisoning a potential asset in what is likely to be another lottery season as the youngsters develop in a brutal western conference in order to pick up an emergency point guard that MIGHT help us win another game or two isn’t smart thinking.
Nance, Jabari and Black are, potentially at least, starters or valuable rotation players. Upshaw’s potential (and risk) is even higher than that. But Kelly and Sacre are known quantities at this point. Their UPSIDE is to actually be “serviceable” rotation players. (Although, to be fair, Kelly might have a bit more value than that as a stretch-four, which is why he’s likely the guy who gets moved because he’d have more trade interest around the league.)
Shaun says
Yeah i was on the FO last year for not signing clarkson to a 4yr deal like the one mickey just signed with the celtics …. clarksons agent might have curtailed that but it looks like teams are more able to get unguaranteed team options for years 3 and 4 that we should have tried to push for it …. but at the same time we are also pushing the image of a player friendly spot that doesnt care about money – see kobes contract and the message they hoped that sent to the league
Clarkson will cost us but i think it will be closer to 10mil per instead of 15 … but who says clarkson doesnt just sign the qo and walk if we dont offer that much
Really liking bobby marks … makes very informed articles and tweets that make sense
I think hibbert will have value, and it will he to us …if we can resign him to a longer term deal we should …. we wont be able to lure any good centers in the next year or two hibbert might be our best bet for the next few years ….. would love for gasol to come back in 2017 if he was still playing … be our C off the bench to end his career… get his jersey retired
The Bach says
Don’t go for the homerun moves (none available) If they can get guys like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (i knw he failed a physical, so not sure, but if he’s available and can pass another physical)
he would a nicedefensive minded wing. Personally, wouldn’t mind seeing Ronnie Price as 3rd/4th option at PG. Tough minded veteran who wouldn’t mind mentoring the young guys. They need to find a way to rid themselves of Kelly/Sacre and maybe Young somehow some way.
Shaun says
Ronnie price signed with the suns