Lakers Rumors: Latest Buzz on LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan and More
The beginning of the 2015 NBA free-agency period was absolutely crazy, as plenty of deals went down throughout the Association. While the Los Angeles Lakers were certainly busy on Wednesday, they didn't exactly come away with positive results.
Los Angeles is coming off another dismal season after struggling to stay healthy and generate team chemistry. The Lakers will have Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle available for the coming season, and Jordan Clarkson was an absolute revelation; however, more pieces must be added if this team is to contend once again.
After drafting D'Angelo Russell—a fantastic decision—the Lakers still have a major hole in their frontcourt. They began free agency with some attempts to fill that void. Let's take a look at how things panned out based on several rumors from around the Web.
After spending nine seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, power forward LaMarcus Aldridge decided to test the open market. He generated plenty of interest due to his phenomenal body of work over his NBA career, and the Lakers were granted an early interview.
Aldridge is coming off a season in which he averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor, and he brings a versatile and physical presence the Lakers desperately need up front. Well, judging by how the team's meeting with Aldridge went, he won't be wearing purple and gold next season.
Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times relayed how things went, writing, "LaMarcus Aldridge will not sign with the Lakers because he was unimpressed by their Tuesday night presentation, according to a person familiar with the situation."
So, there that is.
That news hurts Los Angeles significantly because the Lakers were expected to have a fair shot at landing Aldridge in free agency. It appears as though the team will have to move on to Plan B.
DeAndre Jordan
DeAndre Jordan was considered a bit of a long shot to wind up in Los Angeles, as the center appeared more likely to either remain with the Los Angeles Clippers or join his hometown Dallas Mavericks. Perhaps that notion had something to do with an apparent lackluster presentation from the Lakers on Wednesday night.
Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweeted how the Lakers' presentation was described to him:
While that's disappointing to hear, Turner's next tweet was simply surprising:
So, only general manager Mitch Kupchak and head coach Byron Scott were at the meeting. It seems strange that not a single member of the Buss family or future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant showed up to a meeting in an effort to potentially acquire a center who is coming off a season averaging 11.5 points and 15.0 rebounds per game despite sharing the court with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
While a tweet from Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated disputed the previous claim of the lackluster presentation and instead called it "very professional," it's difficult to think Jordan will even consider the Lakers due to the team's lack of a contingent at the meeting.
Carlos Boozer
So, here's the Lakers' Plan B. Carlos Boozer spent last season with the team and put up some decent numbers, averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 49.9 percent from the floor. He's a power forward who can rebound and has a decent mid-range jumper. Reacquiring his services would give Los Angeles a better frontcourt rotation at the very least.
Although, bringing Boozer back into the fold won't be an easy task. According to a tweet from ESPN's Jeff Goodman, the Lakers are just one of several teams interested in the power forward's services:
We'll likely find out exactly how hard the Lakers pursue Boozer in the immediate future. If the meetings with Aldridge and Jordan went as bad as the rumors say, this 13-year veteran could quickly become a coveted target in free agency.
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