With the offseason winding down and training camp vastly approaching, the Los Angeles Lakers are considering shoring up their small forward position.
Since the beginning of the summer, the Lakers have lacked depth at the three position and haven't done much to improve it. Many believe Kobe Bryant will ultimately become the starter at that spot. However, the team could use a natural small forward with defensive ability and size.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers are considering signing Metta World Peace, who played four seasons for the franchise from 2009 to 2013 while winning a championship in 2010.
This may come as a surprise to many since the 35-year old has been touring China the last couple of years, unable to find an NBA deal as he has been slowly regressing.
So the question is, does World Peace still have anything left in the tank? When playing in China for the Sichuan Blue Whales, the formerly known Ron Artest averaged 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per contest. Those stats are fascinating, but at the NBA level, there is no guarantee that he can indeed put up great numbers.
The last time World Peace was in an NBA uniform was during the 2013-2014 season when he played for the New York Knicks. In 29 games and one start, he put up 4.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game before having his contract bought out and waived.
At this point, Los Angeles’ level of interest in bringing back World Peace is uncertain, as Wojnarowski reports. But perhaps signing the 15-year veteran to a training camp deal would be the ideal decision. That way World Peace could audition for the Lakers, to evaluate his performance before offering him any guaranteed money.
As it stands, the Lakers’ only true small forwards are rookies Anthony Brown and Jonathan Holmes, who sports a partially guaranteed contract. Throwing World Peace in the mix wouldn’t hurt, as long as he ends up signing a make good deal.