Anytime top free agents choose not to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, their offseason must have gone poorly, right? Not necessarily.
The Lakers strolled into free agency with a great amount of cap space and optimism. However all the money in the world and the L.A. limelight couldn’t entice any high-end free agents, a list that included LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan, and Greg Monroe.
Thankfully, the Lakers had a solid backup plan and implemented it right as Aldridge, Jordan, and Monroe signed elsewhere. Since they failed to attain any of those bigs, the Lakers turned to the Indiana Pacers for help.
Indiana had been looking to part ways with Roy Hibbert since early last season, and the Lakers already had a deal in place with Indy from the beginning of the offseason in case they couldn’t obtain any of the big-name free agents. L.A. acquired Hibbert for practically nothing, simply giving the Pacers cap relief.
The Lakers absorbed Hibbert’s expiring contract with the enormous cap room they had, and their offseason officially kicked off. Although he has been struggling the past two seasons, Hibbert is still a fantastic rim protector due to his incredible size in the middle, and that’s all the Lakers will ask from him.
As a follow up move, the Lakers signed last year’s Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams to a three-year contract. Williams is automatic offense off the bench, an electrifying scorer if you will. He will instantly bolster the Lakers second unit and could play either guard position which gives them a lot of flexibility.
Another under-the-radar move was the signing of Brandon Bass. The 10-year veteran out of LSU has made a career with his efficient mid-range shooting. He averaged 10.6 points on 50.4 percent shooting last season for the Boston Celtics, playing in all 82 games. He is a true professional and highly praised by coaches for his work ethic. Bass will make for another wonderful addition to Los Angeles’ bench unit.
Lakers’ most recent free agent acquisition was Robert Upshaw. The young big man showed upside during Summer League action, blocking shots and clogging the painted area with his exceptional length and size. Upshaw earned a partially guaranteed deal from the Lakers, and many believe he could excite the coaching staff enough to remain on the roster.
Due to the confidence that they could snag an All-Star caliber big man through free agency, Los Angeles drafted a point guard in D’Angelo Russell instead of a center in Jahlil Okafor with the second overall pick. Passing up on Okafor may not be the worst thing in the world, but it was a rather huge risk.
The Lakers have a great deal of belief in Russell and realize that the NBA is a point guard dominated league now, but Russell’s Summer League play was very unstable, to say the least. It was his high volume turnovers and inefficient shooting that has Laker fans concerned.
On a positive note, Russell showed flashes of his outstanding passing ability, dishing out quite a few beauties. In addition, Summer League action doesn’t fully justify a player, so fans shouldn’t worry just yet.
The Lakers had another surprise pick in the first round when they selected Larry Nance Jr. 27th overall. Nance, who was expected to be a second-round pick instead, impressed Los Angeles during the Las Vegas Summer League. The 22-year old from Akron promptly became a fan favorite due to his hustle and non-stop motor. He had a handful of crowd-pleasing plays and fascinated the coaching staff with his hard work on the court. Due to his energetic style of play, Nance Jr. could possibly earn minutes in Byron Scott’s rotation.
In the second round, the Lakers chose a wing player to satisfy their needs. Anthony Brown was acknowledged for his good perimeter shooting in college which is why the Lakers selected him with the 34th overall pick. Brown could easily fit in due to his ability to spot up and shoot, which could provide great spacing and floor balance for the Lakers’ second unit.
Despite missing out on all the highly coveted free agents, the Lakers have done a decent job of constructing a competitive roster. They may not have a playoff bound team, but they should be better than last year, barring injuries.
Hibbert, Bass, and Williams were all safe and smart plan-B moves, and adding the three young prospects to the equation gives the Lakers plenty of hope for the future. Although selecting D’Angelo Russell was a bit dicey, it could pay off big time if the 19-year-old guard plays up to par.
Off-Season Grade: C+