5 Free-Agent Fliers Los Angeles Lakers to Gamble on Entering Next Season
For all intents and purposes, the Los Angeles Lakers have already played their hand in free agency.
After striking out on the home run hitters of the 2014 crop, the storied franchise shifted its focus to the superstar targets slated to hit the market over the coming years. Maintaining future flexibility has taken precedence above all else although the purple and gold still hope to put a competitive product on the floor in the present.
Whether that's actually possible in the jam-packed Western Conference will depend largely on the 13 Lakers currently in possession of a guaranteed contract. This late in the offseason, L.A. is very unlikely to find an unclaimed free agent capable of moving the needle in either direction.
But with that microscopic chance of a reward comes an equally infinitesimal risk. Still-unsigned free agents aren't going to break the bank—all the ones not named Eric Bledsoe, at least.
For a small price, the Lakers could buy a scratch ticket potentially offering something they need: size, youth, athleticism, defense. Considering the cost, L.A. owes it to itself to look over these five free-agent fliers.
Michael Beasley, SF
1 of 5
Despite the fact that Michael Beasley participated in the Miami Heat's three-peat bid last season, in some ways, it felt like the former No. 2 pick had fallen completely off basketball's radar.
And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
There were no wince-worthy sequels of off-court mistakes he had made in the past. For the first time in a long time, the focus on Beasley didn't drift away from the basketball court.
His one-year stay with the franchise that had originally brought him into the league had its ups and downs.
The scoring forward averaged only 15.1 minutes a night but still managed to have 10 games with 15-plus points. Of the 296 players to see at least 800 minutes of floor time last season, Beasley ranked 32nd in points per 100 possessions with 27.6.
But some common criticisms from his past followed him once again. As a source told Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, the Heat had several reasons to opt against bringing Beasley back: "Inconsistency, lack of trust in his defense (and ability to execute the Heat's defensive system), and maturity/focus issues."
Teams will need to decide whether Beasley's weaknesses are worth the risk, but the Lakers seem more intrigued with what he can bring. The team has auditioned him twice this offseason, as Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times reported, and could determine he is worth the risk if he could possibly bring some needed depth to the small forward spot.
The longer the focus is solely on the strengths and weaknesses of his game, the better chance the 25-year-old has of tapping into his still-obvious potential.
Jamaal Franklin, SG
2 of 5
Jamaal Franklin made just 21 appearances as a rookie for the Memphis Grizzlies last season, but he managed to flunk his first NBA test.
At least, it appears that's how the Grizzlies saw things. As Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal reported, Memphis opted to waive the sophomore-to-be via the stretch provision.
The book that's currently out on Franklin is far too small to reveal anything about his NBA future. For transparency's sake, the 6'5" guard averaged 1.9 points on .410/.455 shooting, 1.1 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 7.7 minutes per game.
Obviously, that doesn't give a lot of insight into the type of player he is. Luckily, he had a three-year run at San Diego State before that to showcase his talents. There, the lanky guard flashed "defensive upside, athleticism and ability to influence the game by moving without the ball," as Bleacher Report's Daniel O'Brien noted.
If there's a knock on Franklin, it's probably his inability to create his own offense. But it's hard to imagine the Lakers wanting another isolation scorer with Kobe Bryant, Jeremy Lin and Nick Young already potentially fighting for shots.
L.A. needs to be thinking about the opposite end of the floor. After agreeing to become the team's head coach this summer, Byron Scott said he told his players they "better be ready to play some defense," via ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne.
Franklin is ready to positively impact that end right now. The Lakers would be wise to add that weapon to their arsenal then see how the 23-year-old can strengthen his in a permanent, consistent role.
Ryan Hollins, C
3 of 5
If you don't think size still matters in the NBA, then consider the case of free-agent center Ryan Hollins.
The 29-year-old has a journeyman's resume. During his eight seasons in the league, he has worn six different jerseys. He holds forgettable career averages of 3.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 12 minutes, marks he failed to hit over his 61 games with the Los Angeles Clippers last season.
That doesn't sound like someone capable of generating a bidding war, does it? Yet that's precisely what Hollins appears to have done.
Sources told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that the Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs all have interest in Hollins. The actual interest could be even higher. Hollins said during an appearance on SiriusXM Radio's Bottom Line Sports Show he has spoken with those four teams plus the Lakers and others.
What makes Hollins so attractive? Well, he's 7'0", 240 pounds and athletic enough to play above the rim. He has played a minor role for a contender before and never voiced any complaints nor been unprepared when his number was called.
It makes sense for contenders to give him a look. And it makes sense for the Lakers to show interest as well.
Their frontcourt is crowded, but only Robert Sacre and Jordan Hill are slated to fill the center spot. Hollins, a Pasadena, California, native and UCLA product, could give L.A. a more reliable presence under the basket and a veteran presence to help bring the young bigs along.
Malcolm Lee, SG
4 of 5
Remember Malcolm Lee, hoop heads? It's OK if you don't.
The 24-year-old never had a formal introduction to NBA fans. Since being the 43rd pick of the 2011 draft, Lee has undergone two surgeries on each knee and a hip surgery, been traded four times and waived once. After getting cut by the Washington Wizards last October, he has been searching for a way back into the league.
His track record is nearly nonexistent. He played 35 games over two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and holds career per-game marks of 4.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.6 steals in 15.2 minutes.
Of course, even at his best, Lee was never meant to be a guy who showed well in the stat sheet. He punched his NBA ticket by muddying up opponents' box scores during his three seasons at UCLA.
"Every time Coach [Ben Howland] tells us who he's guarding," former teammate Lazeric Jones said of Lee in 2011, via Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, "we have faith that he's going to if not neutralize him, just basically stop him, period."
Think the Lakers couldn't use another perimeter stopper? The only two who might qualify as such are Wesley Johnson and Xavier Henry. Johnson (27) is three years older than Lee, and Henry could be limited at training camp after offseason surgery on his left wrist and right knee.
Lee, according to USA Today's Sam Amick, participated in an eight-player workout for the Lakers in August. If he looked healthy, the franchise could have a hard time passing up on his defense.
Jeremy Tyler, C
5 of 5
At some point, the ceiling may well collapse on Jeremy Tyler.
Since grabbing global headlines after forgoing his senior year of high school to play overseas, the athletic, 6'10" big man has mostly frustrated at the NBA level. The smoothness and explosiveness that once made him a top prospect appear in spurts, but his overall body of work leaves plenty to be desired.
In three NBA seasons, he has played a total of 104 games. He's a 45 percent shooter, a foul machine (5.7 per 36 minutes) and, on occasion, a highlight maker.
His physical tools haven't abandoned him, but they might be almost as raw as they were when he started his professional career at the age of 17. He is still plugging along—"Just got to push forward," he told Scott Cacciola of The New York Times after signing with the New York Knicks last season—but eventually, teams will need to start seeing more to consider giving him another shot.
That time hasn't come yet. He just turned 23 in July, so it's still too early to say with certainty he'll never play a significant role with an NBA team.
That team could be the Lakers. According to Sportando, Tyler was part of a five-player workout they held earlier this month.
Given the aforementioned lack of depth on the interior, what would L.A. have to lose by taking a flier on him? If he ever figures things out, he could easily surpass both Sacre and Hill on Scott's depth chart.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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