Lakers News: Latest Buzz on Pursuit of Moe Harkless and Kent Bazemore
The Los Angeles Lakers haven't wasted any time overhauling their roster since free agency opened.
First, they reportedly agreed to sign center Timofey Mozgov to a four-year, $64 million deal to fill a huge void in the middle of their starting five, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Shortly thereafter, the Purple and Gold reportedly moved to lock up restricted free agent Jordan Clarkson on a four-year pact worth $50 million, per The Vertical's Shams Charania.
However, the Lakers may not be done just yet. With the signing period just starting to kick into high gear, rumors have surfaced regarding the team's interest in some compelling wing talent that could conceivably complement No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram, Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell quite nicely.
Lakers Keeping Tabs on Moe Harkless
Portland Trail Blazers restricted free-agent forward Moe Harkless may not be a Tier 2 or even Tier 3 signee this year, but that hasn't stopped a slew of teams, including the Lakers, from inquiring about his services, according to Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy:
Harkless doesn't fit the mold of a secondary or even tertiary scorer, but he's big and long enough at 6'9'' to defend multiple frontcourt positions. That much became evident last season when he played 70 percent of his minutes at small forward and 28 percent at power forward.
The 23-year-old averaged just 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds last season, but as free-agent swingman Gerald Henderson explained in February, Harkless made his presence felt by doing dirty work, per the Oregonian's Mike Richman:
"Always in the right spot, making cuts to the basket, playing defense. Just stayed ready. And he's helped us immensely.
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A selfless and unsung contributor with the ability to provide flexibility and hustle in several departments, Harkless should be worth a hard look by the Lakers.
The bad news for L.A. is that even if it does secure a commitment from Harkless through an offer sheet, the Blazers will have until July 10—three days after the moratorium ends—to match the deal.
Bazemore a Possibility?
Let's make one thing clear: Kent Bazemore is going to get paid a staggering amount of cash. ESPN.com's Zach Lowe made that much clear shortly after free agency started early Friday morning:
But even though Bazemore's price tag is skyrocketing, teams don't seem to be scared off by the massive financial commitment it could take to sign him, per the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina:
"The Lakers expressed interest on Thursday in acquiring Atlanta forward [Kent] Bazemore, according to league sources. But two years after Bazemore became a lost casualty of the Lakers’ heavier priority on star free agents, the Lakers will field stiff competition from other teams interested in his services.
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It's not hard to see why there's intense interest in Bazemore's services.
The 27-year-old is a prototypical three-and-D wing in a league that's increasingly valuing long-range shooting and defensive versatility, and he's coming off the best year of his career.
During the 2015-16 season with the Atlanta Hawks, Bazemore averaged a career-high 11.6 points per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three.
And while that three-point figure isn't particularly staggering, it's worth noting he did knock down 41 percent of his corner threes. All told, corner shots accounted for 38.4 percent of Bazemore's total three-point attempts during that span.
However, it appears as though the Lakers may be on the outside looking in when it comes to the chase for Bazemore's services. The Houston Rockets nabbed the first meeting with him, according to Charania, and while the two sides didn't strike a deal, they did put the full-court press on in an attempt to woo him, per NBA.com's David Aldridge:
While the Lakers could potentially bring Bazemore back to Hollywood with an offer other teams are scared to match, the rising swingman appears to be in a position to cash out with a more competitive club sometime in the near-future.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com unless noted otherwise.
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