The Los Angeles Lakers, once an elite franchise, have had no luck in the past few years. With Kobe Bryant retired, the team has to build from the ground, up.
Ingram is a good start
The second overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brandon Ingram is a step in the right direction for the Lakers. Though he has a lanky build, Ingram has the size and length to make an immediate impact on the wing, as well as provide a decent, well-rounded defensive presence against elite-forwards. With a little bit of weight and training, Ingram could potentially be the Lakers' best drafted player in years.
His scoring touch is something the Lakers are going to need now that Bryant is gone. Aside from Ingram, there are not many options at the small-forward that can penetrate, slash and attack the rim like he can.
Parsons on the radar
When Bleacher Report released an update indicating that the Lakers might have found a solution to this problem by expressing interest in Chandler Parsons, Lakers fans must have breathed a little sigh of relief.
Parsons is by no means the greatest small-forward, especially in the jam-packed Western Conference, however, he is definitely someone the Lakers can use now that they've lost manpower. Parsons played only 61 games last season because of an injury-plagued season. He averaged 13.7 points, 2.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds on a slash line of .492/.414/.684. His free-threw percentage was his lowest since his rookie season, but any team can overlook that value when comparing it to his other figures.
Parsons' scoring touch from all around the floor is lethal. He is one of the more renowned point-forwards in the NBA. If Parsons has the hot hand, he is always willing to pass the ball out of a drive or from a double-team. His assist count was low this past season, but it's because of the presence of a ball-dominant point-guard in Deron Williams, and that's okay. Parsons' natural role is not to facilitate passes, but rather to shoot lights out as he has done for the past few years.
What works out for Parsons is that with the roster that the Lakers have he can be left on the court for a decent load of minutes and distribute the ball at will, since the team is filled with decent shooters. Between Lou Williams, D'Angelo Russel -- if he isn't traded -- and Jordan Clarkson, all respectable shooters from beyond the arc, Parsons has the pieces around him to distribute the ball and keep it moving. If these shooters can't provide for Parsons, he may control the ball himself and do as he pleases. So when it comes to the Lakers hunting for Parsons, it's an admirable move for an organization that needs a scoring punch.
What this means for Dallas
The Dallas Mavericks, in the event that Parsons is perused onto the Lakers, will be without a scoring small-forward, something they don't entirely need, but it wouldn't hurt to have one. Wesley Matthews can actually play the swingman role, which would benefit the Mavericks greatly. But in order to take more pressure off of Matthews, Dallas would need to secure a small-forward to fill its void. Enter Nicolas Batum.
Batum had a resurgence in Charlotte, and that is enticing a lot of teams in the NBA. His defensive nature and distributive tendencies make for an impressive player, and despite being injury-prone, Batum can still provide any statistic possible in order to bring his team to a win in around 70+ games per season. The 2015-16 season was his career year, and he still has the potential to climb the ranks.
If Dallas ditches Parsons' contract and secures Batum in the process, it'd be a win-win for both teams, in a sense.
Starting July 1, free agency begins and the NBA will be stirring up all sorts of news.