Lakers Minimum Contracts to Pursue as Late NBA Free Agency Steals
The first wave of 2024 NBA free agency is finished.
Even the second wave washed out by now, too.
Whatever chance the Los Angeles Lakers had to make significant changes on that front are a distant memory.
There might still be a chance to for L.A. to shop in the bargain bin, though, particularly if it can find a taker for someone like Cam Reddish or Christian Wood. The free agent pool might be shallow, but it's not empty. The following three players look particularly interesting if L.A. could bring them to town on minimum contracts.
Spencer Dinwiddie, PG
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Excluding two-way contracts, the Lakers made one in-season addition during this last campaign. Spencer Dinwiddie was that pickup, as he landed in L.A. following a post-deadline buyout.
He admittedly wasn't awesome down the stretch, but he was someone this team trusted. He averaged 24.2 minutes over 28 regular-season outings with the organization, then still logged another 14.6 per tilt in the playoffs.
The 6'5" veteran provides good size from the lead guard spot and a decent blend of downhill scoring and distributing. He has never been the most consistent outside shooter, but he has engineered some encouraging stretches. In fact, he converted 38.9 percent of his long-range looks in those 28 contests with the Purple and Gold.
The Lakers could covet backcourt depth given D'Angelo Russell's recent playoff woes and Gabe Vincent's trouble staying on the court. They already tasked Dinwiddie with providing that once and could presumably have interest in doing it again.
Tyus Jones, PG
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Tyus Jones loomed as a potential trade deadline target for this team. The same qualities that attracted the Lakers then could steer them back toward the floor general now.
The 28-year-old, arguably the best unsigned player left, is one of the Association's best decision-makers.
His assist-to-turnover ratio is almost always comically sized. This past season, it was even more absurd than normal as he closed the campaign—his first as a full-time starter, mind you—with averages of 7.3 assists against just 1.0 turnovers. For his career, he has more than 2,500 assists and fewer than 500 giveaways.
He's not just a passing specialist, though. He packs a decent—and efficient—scoring punch, too. He has posted career highs in each of the last three seasons, topping out (for now) this past season with an even 12 points per tilt to go along with a 48.9/41.4/80 shooting slash.
Bismack Biyombo, C
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If the Lakers are in the market for a bruising big man—and it sounds like they might be—Bismack Biyombo might be their best bet.
He's a 6'8", 255-pounder who's more than willing to throw his muscle around on the interior.
There isn't much to his game beyond paint protection, though that might be the Lakers' primary focus anyway. They recognize that it could take some size to win the Western Conference, and Biyombo is someone who can bang with opposing bigs for 10 to 15 minutes.
At this stage of free agency, teams aren't typically looking for a lot of help. If they can find a minimum player capable of filling a niche role, that's usually business well done. Biyombo could seemingly qualify as such.
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