2010 NBA Free Agency: Lakers Sign Ratliff and Barnes. McGrady To Follow?
With the Heat adding veteran after veteran to there roster, to fill up the holes. The Los Angeles Lakers are also doing the same.
The Lakers been getting better and better as the days go, but they have been going at it quietly and without much fuss about their acquisitions.
It all started back on June 24th, 2010. The Lakers had two picks in the second round, and no one had thought they would actually draft some value with those two picks. But they did in deed. The Lakers with the No. 43 pick drafted small forward, Devin Ebanks out of West Virginia. Then with the No. 58 pick drafted Derrick Caracter out of the University of Texas El-Paso.
Both players had superb summer league showings. Caracter averaged 15 points and grabbed down 9 rebounds in his summer league action. He seem unstoppable on the offensive side of the ball. While Ebanks averaged 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
Both players were surprises during the summer league games, and could play some good minutes for the Lakers in the up and coming season.
Now, during the off-season the Lakers brought in point guard Steve Blake to a four year $16 million contract. They re-signed Derrick Fisher, and Shannon Brown could be on his way to being re-signed as well.
Blake will come in and could fight to be the starting point guard for the Lakers. Blake will be a great addition defensively for the Lakers, and he will come in and bring his three point abilities to the Lakers as well.
Recently, actually in the past few hours, the Lakers have inked crafty veteran big man, Theo Ratliff to the team to back up Andrew Bynum.
Ratliff, though near the end of his career, will still be able to bring that fierceness on the boards and blocking shots for the Lakers.
As well, in the last hour, the Laker also signed Matt Barnes to a two year deal worth $3.6 million. Barnes will bring the the defensive aspect to the Lakers coming off the bench. As well Barnes has the ability to attack to the rim, and step back and hit the three if given the opportunity.
Though the Lakers off-season acquisitions have not been as electrifying as their Eastern counterparts, the Miami Heat. The Lakers with the little cap space they have left, have done had themselves a pretty good off-season. Bringing in younger and fresher legs, as well as bringing in craft veterans who will bring great playoff help down the line.
With the likes of Tracy McGrady making their final destination stops between the Lakers and a few others. It only leaves more speculation on how much better the Lakers could be come next season?
