7 Realistic Free-Agent Fits Los Angeles Lakers Must Chase During 2015 Offseason
The Los Angeles Lakers will have money to spend during the offseason, and that's a good thing considering the current state of the roster.
Kobe Bryant is out for the rest of the season (again), the team is floundering with project players and reclamation projects, and nobody seems to know that the future holds.
However, according to ownership, they won't be shy about pursuing meaningful free agents to expedite the rebuild.
“The pitch is we can go for two max players,” said Jim Buss recently per Ramona Shelburne for ESPN The Magazine. “And we have room to solidify the team with others.”
How that intersects with realistic fits is open to interpretation. There is a finite pool of top talent, and every team with big expectations is zeroing in on elite candidates.
The effort to persuade free agents to don purple and gold won’t only rest on management’s shoulders, however.
Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times recently tweeted that according to a source: “Kobe (Bryant) will also be active in free-agent recruiting for the Lakers, including pitches to possible future teammates in July.”
This is by no means a definitive list of all the quality free agents out there. But these are the players who can make meaningful contributions to a team whose current standing is 13-36.
*All stats from ESPN or Basketball-Reference unless otherwise noted.
Marc Gasol, C, Memphis Grizzlies
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Marc Gasol was 23 and playing in Spain when the Lakers traded his draft rights to the Memphis Grizzlies in a package for older brother Pau in 2008.
Nobody knew what kind of NBA player the younger Gasol would turn out to be at that early stage. But he blossomed in Memphis and is now clearly one of the league’s most dominant big men.
At 7’1” and 265 pounds, Gasol is more than a low post presence—he has superb spin moves, strong passing skills and a deft shooting touch that has continued to develop over the years. Gasol is currently averaging a career-best 18.7 points per game.
The All-Star center is keeping all options open when it comes to free agency. “I haven’t even looked at it yet,” he said per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “Whenever the time comes, I’m not going to say no to anything or refuse anything.”
The Grizzlies are having a strong season, currently at second place in the Western Conference and riding an eight-game win streak.
Gasol is probably an extreme long shot when it comes to signing with the Lakers. He has built a good career with a team that has made him their prized centerpiece.
But his statement that he’s “not going to say no to anything” certainly leaves some wiggle room.
Greg Monroe, C, Detroit Pistons
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Detroit Pistons big man Greg Monroe has come alive since former teammate Josh Smith was waived in late December.
Monroe went from 15.1 points and 8.4 rebounds in 27.1 minutes per game in December to 16.9 points and 12.6 boards in 31.6 minutes in January.
At 6’11” and 250 pounds, the bruiser out of Georgetown is a dominating low post presence who has played both center and power forward for the Pistons since being drafted at No. 7 in 2010.
Detroit would no doubt like to bring Monroe back next season, and there are indications the free agent is very open to that possibility.
Monroe’s agent, David Falk, recently reiterated his client’s position, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports: “He made a commitment to Stan (Van Gundy) when he took the qualifying offer that he would work as hard as he could and help the team as best that he could and he would keep his mind open and at the end of the season, he would evaluate all of his options.”
The Lakers will be among the very active suitors. In fact, they’re not content to wait until July. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the team’s assistant general manager Glenn Carraro recently called the Pistons about a possible trade for Monroe.
Los Angeles could plug Monroe in at either position, but he would bring the size and proclivity for clogging the paint that head coach Byron Scott dearly loves at center.
But as much as the Lakers would love to bring the 24-year-old into their fold, the Pistons still have the upper hand.
Kevin Love, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers
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If there’s an obvious name that pops up on everybody's free-agent wish list, it’s Kevin Love—currently with the Cleveland Cavaliers and six months away from being pursued by NBA teams from one coast to the other.
The 6’10” power forward will first have to opt out of his player’s option of $16.7 million, however. And, there’s no sign yet of his willingness to do so.
In fact, according to Chris Haynes for the Northeast Ohio Media Group, Love plans to forgo free agency this summer: “I think that we will figure it out here, so I don't plan on opting out or any of that. I plan on being here.”
The initial thought when Love was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Cavs last summer was that an unbeatable superteam was being formed with LeBron James at the apex. But Cleveland had a slow start to their season, including Love trying to find his comfort level.
His stats are down from 26 points and 12.5 rebounds last season in Minnesota to 17 points and 10.5 boards in Cleveland.
“It’s probably not what he thought it would be,” said Lakers coach Scott recently per Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. “He’s so used to being that guy and now he has to take on a different role.”
That said, Cleveland has been finding firmer footing lately, winning 12 games in a row.
The Lakers would have no qualms with Love being “that guy,” and will likely be on the phone at the stroke of midnight EDT June 30, offering up a max contract, if Love indeed does make it to free agency.
But as it stands now, he doesn’t seem to be inclined to rush into the bidding process. The Lakers (and the rest of the league) may have to bide their time until the summer of 2016, when the big man's current contract expires.
Gerald Green, SF/SG, Phoenix Suns
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Gerald Green—the hyper-athletic swingman and former Slam Dunk champion—has been on the Lakers’ radar for a long time.
The No. 18 draft pick by the Boston Celtics in 2005 played for L.A. during summer league in 2010 and also had an abbreviated training camp contract before the lockout-shortened season of 2011-12.
When that didn’t work out, Green signed with the Lakers’ affiliate D-League team, the D-Fenders.
The 6’8” shooting guard/small forward ultimately wound up with the Phoenix Suns where he has carved out a solid role for the past two seasons—this after a zig-zag journey through the NBA, three D-League teams and stops in China and Russia as well.
But while Phoenix has provided a modicum of stability, Green’s minutes have dropped off sharply from last season's 28.4 per game to 20.9 now.
The reduced playing time has to do with a crowded backcourt in which Green, Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas all compete for opportunities.
"It's frustrating at times, I'm not going to lie, because I'm a basketball player, but I know everybody has made sacrifices on this team," Green said recently per Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. "I just don't want to be the only person who is pouting about it. Certain games aren't going to be my game.”
Green will be an unrestricted free agent next summer after earning a modest $3.5 million this season.
The question for the Lakers is whether Green—not especially known as a defensive stopper—would be a fit in Byron Scott’s old-school system.
But Green’s per-36 scoring this season is 22.4 per game—the highest of his career, and more than any current Laker apart from Bryant.
And that’s something L.A. should think about.
Green would clearly like a larger role, and he is one of the most realistic targets to pursue in free agency.
Goran Dragic, PG/SG, Phoenix Suns
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Goran Dragic is a name that comes up often when Lakers’ wish lists are being discussed, and for obvious reasons.
The Slovenian native has a fiery will to win, can defend multiple positions and has the ability to either create for others on the offensive end or get his own shot off at will.
Dragic’s natural position is at the point, but he has been thrust into a hybrid role this season due to the Phoenix Suns’ plethora of players at that spot.
The 28-year-old will no doubt opt out of his final contract year of $7.5 million and get a huge raise—whether with the Suns or elsewhere.
As the Los Angeles Daily News’ Mark Medina recently wrote, Dragic would be fine playing alongside Bryant. “Any player that is one of the best players in the league would be cool to play with. Kobe is a legend. I know how awesome it is to be around those superstars. If you’re patient enough and you listen, you learn a lot.”
Bryant won’t be the only Laker lobbying Dragic. Medina wrote separately that Nick “Swaggy P” Young is swinging into pitchman mode: “I told Goran Dragic on the court, ‘You might be my teammate next year.’”
Dragic is competing for ball-handling opportunities in Phoenix, but he would clearly be the man at the point in Los Angeles.
And this is the pitch management must make. Because minutes matter to players.
The Lakers will have a shot here.
Rajon Rondo, PG, Dallas Mavericks
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The Lakers tried to acquire four-time All-Star Rajon Rondo from the Boston Celtics in December, but the point guard was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks instead.
Bryant, who is close to the former Celtic, had breakfast with him in early December in Boston. And, he’s not done recruiting Rondo yet. “No way,” the five-time NBA champion said, according the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett. “I’m not done. I’m not stopping until he signs an extension.”
Rondo and Bryant have faced off in memorable Finals matchups, with Boston taking the title in 2008 and the Lakers prevailing in 2010. These two are birds of a feather and they share a mutual respect.
Rondo, who turns 29 this month, will have 10 seasons of wear and tear on his body by the time free agency rolls along. And a case can logically be made that he is past his prime.
As for Bryant, he will be entering his 20th season and coming off yet another surgery.
But anyone who thinks the Lakers won’t try hard to unite these two prickly and intensely competitive backcourt warriors would be thinking wrong.
As for who has the upper hand when it comes to securing the point guard’s services—that’s a matter of money. The Mavericks hold Rondo’s Bird Rights and can offer a larger payday.
But as Tim MacMahon and a forecast panel for ESPNDallas.com opined, it’s unlikely Mavs owner Mark Cuban will offer a max deal.
It's all a matter of finding the magic number and the most persuasive pitch.
Brandon Knight, PG, Milwaukee Bucks
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Brandon Knight was the No. 8 draft pick by the Detroit Pistons in 2011, but was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks last season in a deal involving Brandon Jennings.
He’s been a starting point guard in nearly every game during his NBA career to date and is the personification of a high-volume shooter—attempting more shots than anyone on his roster at 14.3 attempts per contest and leading the Bucks in scoring at 17.7 points per game.
On Wednesday night in an overtime win against the Lakers, Knight had a game-high 24 points to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds.
Knight was unable to come to terms on a contract extension with the Bucks during the offseason and will be a restricted free agent next summer.
The 6’3” guard from Kentucky has good slashing ability, can distribute the rock and possesses above-average perimeter skills—shooting a deadly .405 percent from beyond the arc this season.
Knight may not have the same elite reputation as Rondo or Dragic, but he would be a realistic fit for Los Angeles given their need for shooters and backcourt help.
The Lakers will have a good shot at landing the young scorer, and it won’t take a max contract commitment either.
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