Final LA Lakers Shopping List for 2016 NBA Free Agency
Summer free agency is coming up fast—Friday, July 1 to be exact. And that’s when the Los Angeles Lakers enter the third phase of their all-important offseason rebuild.
Step one was landing a new head coach in Luke Walton—a favorite Lakers son and an exciting young hire who goes hand-in-hand with a forward-thinking philosophy.
Next was the draft, completed admirably with a pair of teenage talents: No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram and No. 32 Ivica Zubac. The former is a rangy three-and-D small forward the team so desperately needs and a potential All-Star in the making. The latter is a 7’1” Croatian center who is already endearing himself to Lakers fans and observers. Witness this from the team’s beat reporter Mike Trudell:
The two new prospects join a squad loaded with young talent, including D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown.
Which brings us to the all-important step three.
“We have $60-70 million in free agency,” Walton said during his introductory presser, per Joey Ramirez of the Lakers official site. “We have one of the greatest fan bases of all-time. It’s an organization that free agents want to play for.”
Now it’s just a matter of identifying players that will best complement the young roster. A top-tier center, a multipurpose wing and a stretch shooter—all with veteran experience—would add much-deeded depth to a young and promising Purple and Gold core.
Swinging for the Fences
There is bound to be a level of realism in the Lakers' free-agent quest at some point, but that doesn’t mean they won’t start by swinging for the fences.
That means going after Kevin Durant. Sure it seems like a long shot. Didn’t L.A. finish dead last in the Western Conference this season?
But according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, the Lakers feel they can at least get in a room with the seven-time All-Star:
"Despite not being on the list of teams scheduled to meet with free-agent forward Kevin Durant, the Los Angeles Lakers have not abandoned their hopes of landing him, according to a person with knowledge of the club's thinking.
The Lakers intend to contact Durant and his representatives July 1 and are confident they will get a meeting, the source said.
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After all, money won’t be a problem. L.A. has deep enough pockets to tender more than one max offer at a time.
The Man in the Middle
Apart from the quest for a megastar, the Lakers' most glaring free-agency need is a quality starting center.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne, a certain league-leading shot-blocker has emerged as L.A.’s top choice to fill that position:
"The Los Angeles Lakers plan to aggressively pursue Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside when NBA free agency starts, according to league sources.
With rim protection and perimeter shooting ranking as the Lakers' foremost areas of concern heading into the open market, sources told ESPN that Whiteside has emerged as a priority target.
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The 27-year-old roamed the fringes of pro basketball for years before establishing himself with the Miami Heat. That odyssey included being drafted in the second round by the Sacramento Kings in 2010 and honing his chops with numerous NBA D-League teams, as well as stints in Lebanon and Asia. The Lakers organization had Whiteside in for workouts two years ago but passed on the opportunity.
But the mobile 7-footer who averaged a double-double during his two seasons with the Heat is now one of the league’s hottest offseason tickets. That also means Miami will try hard to keep him. The ESPN report also names the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers as potential suitors.
If L.A.’s max-money love doesn’t convince the former D-Leaguer, it may turn to a more mature voice of experience. Four-time All-Star Al Horford has spent his entire nine-year NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks, and now he’s an unrestricted free agent.
ESPN’s Stein may have earmarked Whiteside as a Lakers person of interest, but he also tweeted about No. 15:
Horford could be just the kind of steady veteran presence to balance out a talented, but still embryonic Lakers roster. Witness how ESPN's Zach Lowe, then of Grantland, described the versatile baller in 2015:
"When he’s healthy, Horford is a legitimate NBA superstar—a chameleon who is good at everything, great at some things, and always flying beneath the radar. He doesn’t pile up insane numbers, hog the ball, or appear in national TV commercials. He is concerned only with winning, even if the path there involves sacrificing shots to focus on passing, setting good picks, and battling 7-footers under the basket.
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Horford turned 30 in June and still has plenty of gas left in the tank. And a smooth two-way center who is willing to make others around him better could be an essential component in Walton’s new era.
Finding Balance at the Wing
The retirement of Kobe Bryant left a big hole at the Lakers’ wing position. Metta World Peace is an aging free agent, Brown played scant minutes during his rookie season and Nick Young’s imbroglio with teammate Russell has only further complicated an already waning role.
Despite any fond hopes, there's probably not much chance of Durant riding to the rescue. Fortunately, the selection of Ingram could go a long way toward filling a position of need. Appearing on Sirius XM NBA, Walton praised the potential of the rookie.
“I told Brandon Ingram when I talked to him yesterday that he was the player I wanted the whole time,” Walton said. “The way he plays and his skill set and versatility, both offensively and defensively, I think he’s going to be an incredible player and allow us to do a lot of creative things on the court.”
That said, an untested teenager in tandem with the little-used Brown won’t be enough to fully rely upon. One possibility is restricted free agent Harrison Barnes of the Golden State Warriors. But despite Walton’s familiarity with the four-year player, Barnes remains a starter who tends to fade into the woodwork at crucial junctures.
That's a concerning proposition.
A more sensible candidate could be Kent Bazemore—unrestricted free agent and most recently starting small forward for the Atlanta Hawks. He played with the Lakers for the second half of the 2013-2014 season after a midseason trade and showed a huge spike in production.
Bazemore’s dual-wing positionality would also allow Walton to mix and match rotations. (In other words, Bazemore wouldn’t always have to occupy Ingram’s position—he could also play alongside him.)
Additionally, the one-time Laker’s versatility would be a huge bonus in the unlikely event of the front office not coming to terms with restricted free agent Clarkson.
More Firepower
The Lakers ranked dead last for three-point efficiency during the Byron Scott era, in addition to a league-low 97.3 points this season. That will have to change under Walton.
This doesn’t necessarily mean acquiring scorers who demand starting roles. In fact, veterans who can provide additional firepower off the second unit would provide the best complement for the Lakers’ young stars of tomorrow.
Ryan Anderson is a quintessential stretch 4 who typically comes off the bench while still playing big minutes. He can also fit in at center during small-ball lineups and would offer a significant scoring option for a team that has been downright anemic offensively.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Fitzgerald has speculated on Anderson’s fit with the Washington Wizards should they land the free agent. But the Lakers have an overflowing war chest with which to tempt the sharpshooter. It's also an opportunity to be in on the ground floor with Walton and an exciting young team.
Another interesting unrestricted free agent is Jared Dudley, who can fill in blanks from shooting guard to power forward. The 30-year-old journeyman shot 42 percent from beyond the arc for the Wizards last season. Dudley also possesses the kind of scrappy competitive hustle that would endear him to Lakers fans who watched as their team hemorrhaged 106.9 points this season.
Statistics courtesy of ESPN and Basketball-Reference.
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