Playing Keep or Cut with Each of Los Angeles Lakers' Free Agents
With the Los Angeles Lakers finally looking in good shape to rebuild their proud organization, this summer's free-agency period will be a key stepping stone to getting back on top.
Mitch Kupchak and Co. have to be smart with their money, even with the NBA's salary cap set to spike. That process begins with an internal examination of L.A.'s own impending free agents.
Four of the six players under scrutiny were on the team for just last year, and the other two can only claim one additional season of tenure. As such, there are no long-forged loyalties at play. Decisions can be made purely on individual merit and value.
But why wait until free agency begins? Let's get started right now, playing "Keep or Cut" with the Lakers' free agents.
Ronnie Price
1 of 5
Price was actually a pleasant surprise for the Lakers last season.
A strong candidate to not be on the roster coming out of training camp, not only did Price make the cut, he earned the starting point guard job over the team's second-highest-paid player!
Price deserved it, as the Lakers were sorely lacking for energy and hustle. The veteran point guard provided both, hounding opposing ball-handlers all over the floor and sneaking into passing lanes for steals.
However, Price's game never carried over to the offensive side of the ball, where he shot a putrid 34 percent from the field and 28 percent on three-pointers—adding up to a true shooting percentage that would make even Josh Smith blush.
He's a solid vet to have around, but you can find guards more dynamic than Price for the minimum as well. Going into his age-32 season, there's not much of an incentive to hold on to him.
Verdict: Cut
Wayne Ellington
2 of 5
The Lakers made a shrewd move last year, picking up Ellington on the cheap. These days, the going rate for three-point marksmen is far more than the minimum.
That would be the biggest hindrance to the Lakers keeping Ellington. He's sure to draw interest from several teams around the league looking for a wing to space the floor.
Ellington took on more responsibility than ever before in his career last season, taking over for Kobe Bryant after the Mamba was lost for the year. He still managed to keep his efficiency roughly in line with his career norms, despite posting a career-high usage rate.
He's still in the prime of his career, and L.A. needs someone who can stroke it from deep. Ellington would make a good rotation piece.
However, if he gets a big enough offer from elsewhere (think back to Jodie Meeks), the Lakers should walk away and look for cheap shooting on the scrap heap once more.
Verdict: Keep...but only if the price is right
Wes Johnson
3 of 5
Johnson played by far the most minutes of any Laker last season, but how often did you even notice that he was on the court?
Therein lies the problem with Johnson, who is blessed with all the physical tools to be a great player.
He's long, quick, athletic and explosive. He glides effortlessly around the floor and jumps out of the gym. Even his jumper looks sweet. No doubt that's why he was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft, one pick ahead of (gulp) DeMarcus Cousins.
But Johnson has never put all the pieces together to really break out. There are games where he looks like he's on the verge—where he's a terror on defense and in transition, and his jump shot is falling with ease.
More often than not, though, he's a ghost, getting lost on D and staying out of the action on offense.
Johnson showed some signs of perking up in 2014, posting career numbers across the board. But in 2015, he stagnated and even slightly regressed.
After two years, we know what we're getting out of Johnson. He's got just enough to be worthy of a roster spot, but at this point, wouldn't you rather take a chance on someone else to see what they have to offer? That's what the Lakers should do.
Verdict: Cut
Carlos Boozer
4 of 5
Boozer put up the worst per-game averages of his career, but on a per-minute, basis his numbers were in line with what he did in Chicago.
He scored and rebounded at decent clips (18 and 10 per 36 minutes) and shot 50 percent from the field but barely got to the foul line. And his defense was predictably terrible without Joakim Noah and Tom Thibodeau covering his back.
There's no fit here for Boozer. The Lakers are building their next contender. An aging, former star who is in decline and turns 34 at the start of next season is not something L.A. needs to spend money on—especially with 2014 lottery pick Julius Randle waiting in the wings to take over the starting power forward role.
This is an easy decision. The Lakers should let Boozer take his turnstile defense and incessant screaming to another team.
Verdict: Cut
Jeremy Lin
5 of 5
Lin was a disappointment to Lakers fans hoping he'd bring a dash of the old Linsanity with him. He clashed with Byron Scott from the jump and lost his starting to job not once, but twice.
It wasn't all on Lin, though. His game didn't mesh well with Kobe Bryant, just like it didn't with James Harden before that.
And Coach Scott never optimized his role. Lin is an excellent pick-and-roll player, capable of getting all the way to the rim (where he has finished better than 60 percent of his attempts three years in a row), pulling up for the jumper or dishing to an open teammate.
Despite all the obstacles, Lin upped his assist rate, cut his turnover rate, and finished with a PER above the league average of 15 for the first time outside of his magical run in New York.
Lin is a good enough basketball player to keep around, even with at a mid-tier salary. However, the Lakers have unearthed a gem in Jordan Clarkson, who has a similar skill set to Lin—minus the three-point shot—with more upside and a lower cost. Plus, the issues with Bryant and Scott would likely persist through next season as well.
No doubt Lin himself would be relieved to move on as well, after tasting the bitterness of the fans and media in L.A. when made a scapegoat for their pent-up frustrations regarding the team. A mutual parting of ways seems the best course of action here.
Verdict: Cut
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